


Was it a Dream?

by Judaiandjohan, pulveremcomedesligulas, xcyfiawnderx



Series: We fucked up and made a super hero au [5]
Category: Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda) - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Angst, Blood, Death, Everyone wants to punch him on the server, F/M, He's lovingly nicknamed Evil Doctor Daddy, Here is the train wreck guys, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Implied/Referenced Torture, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda), Majora shall be burning by the end of this one, Malon is fed up with this guy, Manipulation, More to be added as I progress with this, Needles, OC appearance, Panic Attacks, Rescue and Recovery, Sheik is a badass, So much angst, Stabbing, Threats To Children, Wild is not having a good time, mentions of injury
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-24
Updated: 2019-09-19
Packaged: 2020-09-25 02:24:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 29,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20369101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Judaiandjohan/pseuds/Judaiandjohan, https://archiveofourown.org/users/pulveremcomedesligulas/pseuds/pulveremcomedesligulas, https://archiveofourown.org/users/xcyfiawnderx/pseuds/xcyfiawnderx
Summary: With Wild having finally been found, the rescue has been made and he begins the long road to recovery. He can't handle the reality of being free, for him it's been two years thanks to Majora's power over the fabric of time. While for his family and friends, it's only been nearly three months of searching.





	1. Running up that hill.

**Author's Note:**

> I have edited this and will edit all future parts to allow for better flow and to fill out what I either forgot to put in, or wished to add.
> 
> This glorious heart-wrenching train-wreck has been written by xcyfiawnderx
> 
> (Chapter titles will be inspired by song titles or lyrics)

When Twilight found his little brother in that doorless room, Wild was sitting stiffly on a plain chair in the middle of it, facing the right wall. Both of his hands were folded loosely in his lap and his eyes blankly fixed upon a spot on the tiled floor in front of him. All of his hair was uneven, clipped haphazardly and it painted a harsh picture, yet it was only a fragment of what he had truly gone through. Not even the sound of the footsteps leading into the room drew a reaction from him. The only visible sign of him being alive, was the combination of a slow blink and the steady rise and fall of his chest.

His clothes were a plain light grey, just a t-shirt and a pair of loose pants. Both of his feet were bare and obviously scuffed, a few small scratches visible on the sides and tops of his feet and dirty, as if he went everywhere barefoot, both pressed firmly together, side-by-side. One of his ears was an angry inflamed red compared to the other, slightly swollen around what could only be a new earring that hadn’t been there before.

Twilight hesitated in the entry for a moment, unnerved by the sight of his eerily still brother. When he gathered the courage to, he crossed the room to place a very gentle hand on his little brothers shoulder after letting it hover for a moment. “Wild?”

_ That _ drew a reaction and Wild lifted his head slightly to move his eyes up to the source of the voice. A faint glimmer of recognition was there in his gaze as he blinked again and his face scrunched up slightly in confusion. He opened his mouth to say something but his voice caught in his chest because he had been  _ told _ to not talk to or interact with anyone or he would be in trouble when  _ She _ came back to check on him soon.

A soft click of his teeth was audible in the silence of the room and he dropped his eyes back down to the floor immediately, staring at a spot between two familiar boots. There was a faint tremble in his shoulders, up the side of his neck into the sudden tension of his jaw. On both hands, his fingers had flexed to clench tightly to the fabric of his pants, knuckles white from the force he was putting into the action. 

Another hand was settled on his other shoulder and he slammed his eyes shut, lips pressing firmly together as he _willed _himself to wake up and be left alone so he didn’t get punished. Wild wanted to tell him to ‘_go away’_, to get out of there before he got in trouble. _She_ would be beyond furious if anyone else was here in the room with him.

The sound of fabric shifting in front of him had, Wild cracking his eyes back open, practically jumping out of his skin when he saw Twilight kneeling in front of him, a concerned look on his face. The weight of the familiar hands on his shoulders used to bring him comfort, but right now, he was downright terrified of the implications. 

_ Mamajora would know someone had been with him, somehow someway _ .

“Wild? Hey, I’m going to get you out of here alright? I just need you to listen to me and come with me alright?” Twilight’s voice was soft, far softer than he had been used to. It was odd, not  _ normal _ for the other to be this gentle with him, was it?

Wild opened his mouth again, swallowing down some of his fear just to barely whisper ‘ _ Maybe She wouldn’t know? _ ’. “Y-You need to leave before  _ she _ comes back. I-I’ll get in trouble for talking to you.”

“Twi, we need to get moving, dad can’t keep her distracted for too much longer.” The sudden sound of another voice broke in and Wild jerked under Twilights’ touch to look over at the doorway, wide-eyed, breath coming quickly now. Legend was there, leaning part way out of the wall. Worry was visible in his eyes, the corners of them wrinkled as if he were struggling to not say anything about the state of his little brothers health.

A faint blur moved into the room and settled into the form of Sheik, his honorary aunt in her armor, looking ready for a fight of some sort. “We do need to move. Legend get the others, tell them we found him and we are heading to the meeting point.”

“Yes ma’am, the others will be sent ahead and Midna and I will be ready to move when you get there.” Sheik nodded and looked over to where Twilight was still kneeling in front of Wild when Legend retreated back into the wall without any argument, that alone showed how firmly he had a hold on his own emotions, he was usually far more expressive and her eyes softened.

Sheik was by the pair in an instant, kneeling on the ground next to Twilight, concern in her body language, visible in her eyes through the carefully neutral expression. “Wild, sweetheart we need to get you out of here. Will you let us carry you?”

“No… N-No I can’t leave. I-I’ll get in trouble if I leave without  _ her _ permission.” There was an audible tremble in his voice and hitch in his breathing. The youngers voice was still barely more than a whisper and it had Sheik wanting to join Time with his fight against Majora. She was seeing a bloody  _ red _ with how much anger she felt seeing her once playful and rambunctious honorary nephew reduced to this shell.

Carefully she reached out a hand, setting her palm on Wild’s upper arm, just below where Twilight had his own hand. Her voice was firm, but soft and hopefully not betraying the amount of upset she felt. “We aren’t leaving without you kiddo. You don’t need to stay here anymore.”

“We’re taking you home. We  _ want _ you to come home, mom, dad, Legend, myself and several of our friends have been doing everything we could to  _ find _ you.” Twilights own voice was strained and when she glanced at him she could see how tight the corners of his eyes were as well as in the set of his jaw when he finished speaking. 

A hitch was heard again in Wild’s throat and a scared noise escaped him as he finally looked up at the two of them, eyes darting rapidly between them both. “I  _ can’t _ leave. Mamajora doesn’t like if I leave the room without permission.”

Hearing that coming from his mouth had Sheik locking her muscles to stop herself from whipping around to truly join Time’s side. She wanted to for a brief moment, ignore his orders to get Wild out of here, because  _ Majora would pay _ . It took an effort to restrain the anger in her voice as she spoke softly again. “Wild. Sweetheart you  _ can _ leave.  _ You _ won’t be punished or hurt ever again by anyone else, alright? Let’s get you home.”

She could faintly hear a low whine build up in Twilight’s throat. His wolf side was clearly running very close to the surface right now, and it was obvious that he didn’t want to transform in front of his brother and startle him more than he obviously was. With her unoccupied hand she lightly pat Twilights arm and pushed herself up to her feet smoothly. “Come on you two le-”

“ _ No! I can’t leave! _ You don’t understand! She’ll find me and I’ll be locked in the Room again!” Wild jerked away from them both, lurching to his feet. His motions sent the chair tumbling to the floor as he staggered to the side, backing away from them until his back hit the far wall, both arms coming up to hug onto him torso as he shook his head from side to side rapidly. “I won’t go back in there! I  _ can’t _ go back in there! If you stay here Mamajora will  _ make _ me go back in there!”

“Wild please, we need to g-” Twilight moved up to his feet, stepping towards his little brother and froze when Wild threw his hands up, as if warding them back. Both of his palms had shiny thin red burns criss-crossed over them, like they had happened repeatedly and they even were angled up to the pads of his fingers.  _ He knew what those burns were from _ . He knew the shape of them because he remembered having a few of them himself as a kid when he grabbed the electrical fencing around the cattle pens on accident.

_ These weren’t accidental burns _ .

Honest fear and terror was visible on the younger teens’ face and there was a feral look in his eyes as his chest rose and fell rapidly. Twilight was at a loss for how to handle this. Wild was a shell of himself, and it _physically_ _hurt_ to see how broken Majora made him. 

“S-Stay away please!  _ J-Just leave me alone before she comes back _ !” 

Sheik cautiously stepped forward again and both of them felt their hearts clench from they way that Wild pressed himself further back against the cement wall. If they couldn’t get him out of here soon conscious, they would have to resort to their back-up plan. The faint weight of the sedative in Sheik’s hip pouch felt like it was burning because she didn’t  _ want _ to use it, not after some of the little ‘gifts’ that Majora left for them to find showed Wild completely out of it in a way that could only mean he’d been drugged.

“Wild, please, we need you to calm down and relax. Neither of us will let her hurt you. Majora won’t be able to touch you ever again. I  _ promise _ , do you remember what I said about promises?” Twilight stepped hesitantly forward, his voice wavering faintly, shoving his upset down as far as he possibly could to keep a level head for Wild’s sake. 

Sheik watched Wild focus his eyes on Twilight and waited for a few moments to see what he would do. She didn’t want him to feel more trapped than he already did with them both standing in front of him. Both of them watched as Wilds face scrunched up slightly, his own jaw trembling again before he took in a shaky breath.

“Y-You told me you don’t break promises…” 

“Have I ever broken a promise I made with you?”

There was a moment of hesitation before Wild spoke again, voice shaking and soft. “No, you’ve never intentionally broken a promise Twi.”

“Then let us take you home alright?” Sheik murmured softly, knowing that their limited time was starting to run out before they would  _ have _ to leave with or without Wild, and they had no plans to even think about leaving him here in her grasp. Majora would make sure there was  _ never _ a second attempt, she knew this very well.

In the distance there was a loud crash, as if something had been slammed into a wall hard enough to collapse it and Wild jerked his head up to look at the doorway behind them, going stiff. The sound of Time’s voice echoing down the hall had her moving.

** _“Sheik get them out now!”_ **

Wild had no chance to react before she was next to him, the needle and syringe filled with sedative uncapped and being pushed into the bare skin of his upper arm. It was all done quickly enough, that by the time Wild jerked away from her the needle was emptied and the syringe discarded off to the side. The injection itself worked swiftly and by the time Wild staggered to the side a few steps, fleeing her touch, Twilight was there catching him.

“N… No she… She’s gonna be…” The young man struggled for a few moments, pushing weakly at Twilight’s chest before falling limp, his head lolling as he slid under the effects, eyes falling shut. Twilight picked him up, an arm under his shoulders and one under his knees and Sheik helped steady him a little better before they  _ moved _ .


	2. If I had a heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A fight between Time and Sheik vs Majora in all of her tiny angry self.
> 
> Tw: Choking

Around them the building was shaking violently and Sheik and Twilight both knew that Majora was starting to get desperate if the shrieking of rage was any indication of her mood. The main thing Sheik was worried about was how many times her partner had been forced to Reset for everything to go this smoothly. Majora could be determined more often than not, and their group was taking back someone she had in her hands. She was beyond pissed.

The screech of metal bending behind them had her turning around to allow Twilight to get ahead of her. Getting both boys to safety was the priority in this, yet she had a bone to pick with the  _ bitch _ if she tried anything. 

“Get outside Twilight! Turn left up ahead and hit the door running if you can! Midna should be in position for you by now. Your father and I have this handled, just get him  _ home _ .” Without giving the younger man a chance, she was  _ gone _ blurring into reality by Time’s side, fist cocked back and slammed forward hard into the side of Majora’s face, all of her forward momentum and weight hitting the shorter woman. She felt a bone snap in her hand, but Sheik didn’t care as the target of her anger was sent flying from the force. 

Time was startled slightly at her sudden appearance, but the relief on his face was visible and she  _ knew _ they succeeded. This was the last Reset it seemed and Majora was in for a world of pain by the time she would be through with her, Sheik just had to remain faster than Majora and give Time his own clear shot to put her down. With any luck, for good this round.

Sheik wouldn’t be able to look Malon in the eyes for  _ months, _ if she didn’t get Majora back for her boy. A quick shake out of her hand was her reaction to a spark of pain flaring slightly from the broken bone, was all the time she paid attention to the injury before she kicked off the ground. Dust billowed as she twisted between one step and the next as Majora stood up from where she had fallen, the lower half of her left shin  _ slamming _ home against the side of the others head by her ear. The resulting screech of pain was music to her own ears, which was followed quickly by Time’s own strike, his whole weight as a massive golden furred wolf slamming into Majora’s chest as he threw himself headfirst at her chest. 

Majora hit the ground hard and rolled through the rubble several feet before coming to a stop on her side, back facing them both, unmoving. Time had staggered from the force of his blow against her and straightened up, panting harshly. When he transformed back, Sheik got a better look at his face. It was a mess of bruising and cuts which also covered every visible speck of skin on him, and likely more under his clothing. He glanced briefly at Sheik who was favoring her left leg and right hand slightly and gave her a small smile before focusing his attention back on Majora. “Nice punch, I heard it hit her.”

“Thanks. I hope I broke her jaw.” Sheik shifted her weight as Majora moved slightly, one hand reaching out to flex into the gathered dirt. Unseen to either of them a grin stretched across her face as her eyes opened and flicked to look up at the ceiling.

Laughter split the air, starting low and labored. Then Sheik felt the hair on the back of her neck stand and she shifted her weight forward into a dodge roll as between one moment and the next Majora was suddenly behind her, her own foot outstretched, a maniac smile on her face. The laughter was still echoing through the room in the direction that Majora had been laying. “ _ Boo. _ ” 

Blonde hair flared behind her, having not quite caught up to her motions yet and the crazed gleam in her blue eyes struck the woman with how  _ much _ , Wild looked like his birth mother. There were no scars on her exposed skin, only a rapidly purpling bruise on her left cheek, extending back to her ear was the glorious sign of Sheiks brief victorious strikes beneath the tattoos on her cheeks.

“You’ll be short a sidekick one day  _ Fierce Deity _ .” Majora purred out, time locking for a brief moment which was long enough for Sheik to have very little time to jerk back and roll with the punch that collided with the side of her face. With her stagger she didn’t have a chance for a reaction as another quick, barely there motion caught her eyes and Time was suddenly between her and Majora. Now on her right, both of his hands holding tightly to Majora’s now outstretched leg. “Sometimes Sheik, you are far too impulsive.  _ Don’t let her touch you _ .”

“I wouldn’t touch her if she was  _ faster than me _ . But she’s not…” Majora said lowly as the petite woman pushed up into the air, bending her knee within Times grasp, pulling herself into the air to lash out at Times’ face with her left foot. She barely missed the side of his face as he jerked his head back. 

A snarl of anger was on Times’ face, teeth bared as he turned spinning and dragging Majora around mid air. Sheik ducked as the taller man swung full circle with the other woman, throwing the villain as hard and  _ far _ as he could. Straightening up, he looked at his partner before he shifted again, lunging forward on all four paws as Majora stood up once more. 

Well,  _ that _ wasn’t ominous at all. She made a noise of determination before she blurred again, flickering into view in front of Time, fast enough to knock Majora aside again with a kick from her good leg before there was a surge of pain shooting through her side as time fluxed around her. 

She missed whatever it was thanks to Majora’s powers, but she _felt it_ as an audible crack was heard from her chest. Sheik bit down on her lower lip hard enough to draw blood in an effort to not yell in pain as she was struck again, _in the_ _same fucking place that bitch!_

Sheik hit one of the nearby partially collapsed walls hard enough to see stars and slid down the face of it to lay in a heap at the foot of it, dazed. The world around her spun, even through her closed eyes and the urge to heave was swallowed down in favor of carefully pushing herself up so she was sitting. Above her there was a gagging noise as well as the sound of Time grunting as he used his own strength to do  _ something _ to Majora.

“When will you ever  _ give up _ , Majora?” 

“ _ Never while you’re alive and breathing  _ ** _Time_ ** !” Majora’s words were choked out and Sheik forced her eyes to open and look up to see what was happening.

Time had Majora by the throat, teeth grit as the woman clawed at his arm, her toes barely reaching the floor and kicking wildly at Time. With a grunt and another twist of his body, her partner lifted the woman up higher, and threw her again. “Then you and I will be fighting until one of us is dead. But that  _ won’t _ be me. Not after what you did to  _ my _ son.”

Majora lay on the ground for a moment flat on her back, still as if stunned. Then as she did before, she started laughing, the intensity of it rising as she pushed herself up to sit. Her hair covered her face as the laughter turned into a cackle. A hand was moved up to pull her hair back, shoulders shaking from the force. Yet, just as suddenly as it started, the laughter stopped and Majora’s eyes snapped open, focused firmly on Time, a razor sharp clarity reflecting from the distance despite the madness lingering in them. 

“Your son?  _ Your _ son? Oh  _ no _ , Time, he’s  _ mine _ and he always will be.  _ He knows that his Mamajora loves him too. _ Enjoy having him in your arms while you can, because when I come for him again? The next time, will be the  _ last time,  _ you ever see him.” Her voice was low, threatening and filled with a determination that only the deranged could manage in their moments of lucidity.

Time’s posture stiffened and he shifted himself, ready to move if Majora tried to attack them again. There was a flicker as one final time, the fabric of time itself shifted and Majora was  _ gone _ . The taller man stood stock still for a moment senses alert and tension heavy in his posture, before it slowly leaked out of his shoulders with a heavy sigh. 

“I thought I told you to not get hit by her.” Was all Time said with a faint hint of amusement as he helped Sheik to her feet and pulled her uninjured arm over his shoulder.

A very unladylike snort escaped her as she cracked a smile, wincing as the noise and action jostled her ribs. “You know me, I don’t like listening to you when it comes to fighting her.”

  
Time shook his head with a roll of his eye and started leading her out of the partly collapsed building. When they exited the building, there was a pair of police cruisers with officers waiting for them, hands ready on their weapons, lights off and all of them willing to react in case something happened. Before even one of them opened their mouths to ask them what happened Time lifted a hand and waved them off. “She’s gone for now, mission accomplished on our part. Can one of you get us to the location we provided you earlier while the rest of you start your investigation? We’ll tell you what happened later in our reports. Right now, I just want to see  _ my son _ .”


	3. Teardrop

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reaching the hospital, Twilight, Legend, and Midna all get themselves settled in while they wait for news of Wild's health with Malon. When Time and Sheik arrive, so does the news of the youngest Forresters' state.

Twilight never thought he ran as hard in his life before than the moment Sheik flickered out of view. Wild was limp in his arms, eerily still and it had an anger bubbling up in his chest as he tore off down the hallway leading outside. They had hoped to be able to bring him out of there under his own choice, not put under something. Bolting around the corner he was told to, he saw the door at the end, he turned so his back hit the bar on it, and pushed it open. Relief flooded him as he saw Midna standing in a darkened patch of shade. Legend was next to her, hands picking worriedly at his shirt, eyes darting back and forth along the face of the building. Everyone else had clearly made it to safety.

Midna spotted him first and there was a moment of relief as the tension in her shoulders melted away and she reached out to Legend, tugging his sleeve, who then turned his attention to them. His eyes widened and he moved forward, rushing to his side when he saw Wild in his arms. “Where’s Sheik? I thought we were supposed to stick together?”

“No time yet, we need to get out of here. Majora’s on the warpath as you can hear.” As if to emphasize his words, an earsplitting shriek split the air behind them. Twilight kept moving to Midna’s side, her own powers lifting and darkening, ready to transport them. Legend was at his heels, reaching out to grab one of Midna’s hands while the other snagged ahold of Twilights wrist under Wild’s knees.

With a swirl of shadows that  _ still _ disoriented him, they vanished into the darkness. After a few moments the four of them reappeared in the shadows of a pre-set up room at the local hospital that catered to people with superpowers. Legend was out the door like a flash, rushing to find the doctors and nurses that were supposed to be ready and waiting for them to arrive. Midna stayed in the room with her partner and moved to help Twilight get Wild laid out on the bed once she turned the lights on in the room. There was a soft noise of anger that bubbled up before it was choked off when she got a better look at Wild's face.

There was a rush of footsteps behind them as Twilight finished laying his little brother out on the bed, Midna helping to lay his legs out straight, and they were both practically shoved and pulled out of the way as hospital staff flooded the room. The shifter really  _ didn’t _ want to leave his little brother so soon after having helped save him, but he knew he would simply be in the way of their work. He let himself be led out of the room, his eyes focused on his brothers slack and exhausted face as they looped an oxygen tube over his ears and began their work.

The door closed behind them and he felt Midna’s arms wrap around him, her chin resting on the top of his head as she held him. “He’s going to be fine Twilight. Let’s get to your mom and Legend.”

He hadn’t realized he was trembling until she squeezed him gently, tugging him a little to guide him to the nearest waiting room. Once they were in there, Twilight noticed Legend sitting with his mom and the moment she saw him, she was rushing to his side, pulling him into a hug tighter than the one that Midna had him in.

“You’re safe!” Malon muffled out into his shoulder, arms tightening and fingers tangling in the back of Twilights shirt. Twilight hugged his mother tightly in return, his face pressed against the side of her head as he struggled to get his own upset under control. The wolf in him was running close to the surface again, smelling the distress in the air. He felt a dampness start to soak into his shirt and he swallowed thickly. 

“Both,  _ all, _ of us are safe mom, dad’s gonna stop her. He’s gonna be here soon.” He pulled his face back just enough to be able to speak clearly, arms still wound tightly around her. Midna’s hand was at his back, showing her own intent for comfort while still letting his mother have her time. He could feel the simmering rage under Midna’s hand thanks to the intensity of their partnership and her magic having been flooded into him last year. It had the wolf in him still dangerously close to the surface, but at a more manageable level than before.

They stayed like that for some time, Legend joining them with his hand on their mother’s back, his fingers tangling in strands of her hair and the fabric of her shirt. His jaw was set, and he briefly met Twilights’ eyes when the taller male looked up, giving him a strained smile before looking up to the door, waiting for their father and aunt to arrive. Hopefully soon.

-

It was just over an hour before Time and Sheik were able to get to the waiting room everyone was in. Sheik was stuck in a wheelchair, disgruntled and annoyed with her left leg propped up on a pillow with a large pack of ice on it, and her right hand in a cast with three fingers immobilized. Her clothes had been exchanged for a hospital gown and there was a bandage over her shoulder peeking out from under the collar of it.

Time had an amused look on his face as he listened to his partner grumble and complain about how the  _ “stupid contraption makes me look like an invalid Time”, _ left arm in a sling, and several sets of butterfly stitches covering his cheeks, neck, and arms. His own clothing had been exchanged out for a full set of scrubs, having been covered in debris and spots of blood. When he entered the room with Sheik in front of him, he lifted his head up to look at his wife, sons, and Midna, a look of relief crawling onto his face.

Malon pulled away from Twilight’s shoulder at the sound of the door opening, tears streaking her face, eyes red and she gave a watery sounding laugh when she saw him and Sheik. She pulled away, Twilight’s arms dropping to his side as he turned his own head to meet his dad’s eyes. There was a glimmer of pride in the older man’s eyes as he looked between the three teenagers and he gave a small nod. “Good job you three, you did well. Majora’s not going to be around. For a little while at least.”

“Not after what we did to her.” Sheik was smug and she met Malon’s eyes, her own glinting with victory. She lifted the hand that was in the cast and waved it lightly. “I punched her for you.”

“Broke your hand, and cracked your shin too with that roundhouse you delivered to the side of her head.” 

“Shut up, I hit her hard enough to stun her Time. I think I might have ruptured her eardrum too, she did list to the side a little before you slammed into her.”

“Hmm, true. But then I told you  _ not _ to get hit by her. What happened? She broke four of your ribs.”

“ _ Shut up _ ! She can  _ freeze time _ , Time.”

There was an amused snort from Malon as she covered her mouth to muffle its escape which she then turned her face to press it against Twilights shoulder as it turned into a broken laugh. “That- Sheik that was a horrible joke!”

Twilight rolled his eyes, relaxing a little more now that his father was in the room. He glanced over to Legend and like himself, there was a relieved air about him knowing that Majora was licking her wounds. Midna leaned forward with a faint smile and she looked between the two new to the room, satisfaction having been radiating off of her as soon as the elder woman made mention of striking Majora as she did. Twilight could still feel a slightly vicious undercurrent of anger through their bond, but it was far less noticeable than before. “I hope you did rupture it. It would serve her right.”

A moment after Midna spoke up Time moved around Sheik’s wheel chair to reach Malon and pull her carefully into his chest, right arm pulling tightly around her waist. Twilight’s mother practically sagged into his fathers chest, her arms wrapping firmly around his waist in return. Malon did note that her spouse winced slightly but she stayed silent as he practically leaked the sensation of safety. 

Legend and Twilight barely heard the words that Time murmured into their mothers hair and Twilight ducked his head slightly, a smile on his face, glad that he had such a protective father. “She’s never going to hurt our boys again Malon. I  _ will _ stand between them and keep our kids safe, I promise.”

Malon hiccuped and buried her face into her husbands’ chest and she started truly sobbing this time, rather than the silent tears from before. The room was silent for a few minutes except for Malon’s sobbing. Midna had stepped up to Twilights side once more, looping an arm around his shoulders, getting one of his own around her waist in return. The taller teenager squeezed him gently again and she gave him a small smile when he looked up to her as she murmured softly. “Wild’s going to be fine Twi.”

Legend had heard her words and he spoke up, voice low but filled with confidence. “He  _ will _ . He’s a survivor and that  _ bitch _ is going to regret taking him.”

“Language, Legend…” There was no heat to Time’s scolding, a small smile on his lips, showing he did agree with what was said. A huff left Legends mouth and he crossed his arms, turning his head away, fighting down a smirk at getting away with it without further words. 

Everyone started to settle down after that. Sheik dozing off after wheeling her chair over to a corner. She ended up getting scolded by Time for doing it in the first place with her broken hand, not that she cared one lick. The prompt response of a piece of ice from the ice pack on her leg, being thrown at him had a round of weak laughter roll through the room. It was sent sailing back with precision born of practice by the man and Sheik couldn’t dodge it without jostling her ribs and took the small cube right between her eyes with a soft yelp.

Time and Malon both occupied one of the sofa’s, the redhead laying against Times good side, her head against his shoulder and both arms around his waist while he had his right arm around her in return. Her eyes were closed, puffy and red, tears still leaking from the corners of them every now and then, prompting her to turn her face and wipe it against the others shoulder without care every few minutes. Time was watching the door, waiting intently for any kind of news to come to them from the doctors.

Legend had wedged himself into the corner of the other sofa from Twilight and Midna, his phone out in front of him as he too waited, having told their group of friends that they were waiting on more concrete news. He was simply staring at the screen, flicking the pages from one side to another, not really focusing on it as he was lost in thought. The other teens that had gone with them, had been sent back first when they had located Wild. 

All of them had practically badgered Legend since they had arrived at the hospital as well as the other members of the group that weren’t included on their task. Most of them had grouped together downstairs in the general lobby as too many people cluttering up a waiting room was frowned upon. He had plans to go down in person once they found out  _ something _ though because of the other two teenagers sitting at the other end of the sofa.  _ Ugh it made him want to gag from how oblivious they were. _

The last pair were as comfortable they could get on the sofa. Twilight had  _ wanted _ to be pacing, but Midna intervened and practically sat on him before she started started to rub behind his ears like she did when he was in his wolf form. It worked, and he was calmer, just waiting like everyone else. Footsteps stopping outside the door had the whole room looking up, staring at the surface intently.

The knob turned and a nurse poked her head in, hesitating when all six pairs of eyes fixated on her, Sheik having woken in an instant at the sound of the doorknob moving. “Mr. and Mrs. Forrester?”

Time stood up with Malon moving a moment after, biting at her bottom lip. Her fingers were white where they held onto Times’ hand like a lifeline, nervous anticipation rolling off of them all now. His voice was steady as the Nurse stepped into the room, shutting the door behind her. “That’s us yes.”

The young woman took a breath before she started speaking, trying her best to relay everything from memory. “Your son  _ will _ make a full recovery physically. He’s going to have scarring on his palms, but they will fade with plenty of time, and regular exercise to keep the scar tissue from becoming rigid. There  _ may _ be complications in the form of nerve damage, but so far his reflexive motions have been testing well. We removed glass shards from the bottoms of his feet as well, small slivers, and some of them had been there for some time. Reflexes in his feet are functioning normally too.”

Here the nurse took a breath to calm herself down and then she continued. “He has a serious infection in his right ear while we have antibiotics in his system to remove it, it may be possible he will develop hearing problems, the infection has been present for some time. He’s somewhat underweight and will need to be put on a special diet to rebuild it safely over the next few months, and his iron counts were very low. We caught it fast enough to prevent anemia from developing. It’s an easy thing to manage with iron heavy meals.”

Malon brought her free hand up to cover her mouth and her shoulders shook as she lowered her head slightly and pressed closer to Times’ side. Twilight was stiff again as the nurse listed everything that was physically wrong, Legend listening with rapt attention, his phone shoved away into his pocket. Time heard Midna move behind them to stand next to Sheik, giving the family some semblance of privacy without leaving the room. 

“As for his mental health, we  _ do insist _ on a therapy animal at the least. Whatever he went through will affect him long term. He woke up briefly while we were cleaning up his ear and he panicked. We don’t believe he was coherent at all as we were able to put him back under quickly, but…” Here she took another breath, steeling herself and swallowed before looking up to meet Times’ eye. “He… kept begging for a  _ Mamajora _ to not hurt him or lock him in a room.”

Silence rang through the air and the level of tension built in the room to a point so  _ thick _ a knife would have been bent or broken trying to cut it. The nurse shifted uncomfortably and fidgeted with the hem of her uniform top for a moment. “In just under an hour, the doctor assigned to him will be in to take you to his room. Two people can stay overnight in the room with him and the rest of you can stay here in this room. We can provide blankets to those of you who remain.”

With that the young woman practically  _ bolted _ out of the room, fleeing like the hounds of hell were on her tail. Supers were terrifying when their attention was focused on one thing.

The room stayed quiet for a few moments after the door shut behind her. Then a snarl ripped through the silence as Twilight whipped around and stalked over to the window and pressed his forehead against the cool glass. Midna joined his side a moment later, a hand going to his shoulder, and further up to curl into the short hair at the back of his head. Her lips were moving quickly and quietly as she did her best to help him calm down. Legend slammed the door behind him as he stalked out of the room to go downstairs, for once preferring the long way down rather than travelling through walls.

Sheik, in her wheelchair, had a white knuckled grip on the right armrest, her face stony before she murmured loud enough to be heard. Her eyes were like ice chips when she looked up to meet Time’s eye again. “She’s going to  _ wish _ I broke her jaw this round Time.”

“Sheik…”

“ _ No _ Time. You… You weren’t there when we  _ found _ hi-”

“Dad.” Twilight’s voice was quiet as he cut his aunt off, Midna’s soft murmuring having fallen silent when Sheik spoke up. He was facing the taller man now, a glint of unshed tears in his eyes, from a mix of anger and hurt. “When we found him, he wouldn’t even  _ look _ at me. He refused to speak, and when he did it was only in a  _ whisper _ . Wild was  _ terrified _ of the thought of leaving that open room without  _ her damned permission! _ ”

Malon had inhaled sharply at that and Time’s lips were parted softly, his eye widened, then Twilight continued with his voice steadily rising. “He said that if he even left the room he was in he would be put in another room and  _ locked inside _ . He was terrified of it dad, and not  _ once _ did I notice a single use of his power. I know I can’t sense it like you can, but we all know what to look for when someone  _ does _ use them. She  _ trained _ him by mentally torturing him!”

With that, Twilight left the room with haste, Midna slipping into the shadows to reach him just as the door slammed shut for the second time. A harsh sob escaped Malon’s mouth and she fully turned to press close to Time’s side, wrapping her arms around him tightly, shoulders shaking violently with the force of them rocking over her. Time stared at where Twilight and Legend had left, his face pale as he held Malon close, letting her cry. Reality  _ finally _ set in as he ran through what Twilight had said, it hammering into his head, with a similar violence to how Majora had continued to kill him and him being forced to Reset himself.

_ Majora would pay. _

His oldest child was  _ right _ though. Not once did he  _ ever _ feel Wild’s power fluctuate, through all of the _<strike>34</strike>_ Resets, it just  _ never _ happened. Majora’s power felt like a railroad spike being driven through his chest, his own felt like someone had stuck their fingers into an electrical outlet, and Wild’s power was an odd feeling. It felt like the rush of a smaller waterfall bombarding him, not painful, but discomforting if he wasn’t ready for the rush of time reasserting itself to it’s normal pace.

_ Majora would not get away again. _

Realizing and registering that he never once felt that sensation had Time lowering his face to put his nose in his wifes’ hair, breathing in the familiar scent of milk, horse, warm stew, and all manner of other aroma’s from around their farm. It helped ground him while he settled down, hoping that in the long run, Wild  _ would _ recover from this, because he was starting to agree with Sheik more and more with every sob that was left against his chest. 

_ She would never see the light of day again when they were done with her. _

“He’s safe now Malon, we’ll help him through this. Our boy will be back home soon enough and we  _ will _ help him recover. Wild will be chasing the cucco’s, brushing the horses, and climbing into the hayloft in no time at all.” His words were for himself as much as they were for her. Her only response to show she was listening and hearing him was for her fingers to tighten against his back. 

_ Their little boy, their resident wild-child, won’t ever have to fear Majora again. _

“One day soon, he’s going to be laughing and smiling again, playing pranks on his brothers and I, and bringing you flowers again from the fields, dripping mud in the dining room, like he used to.” These words had Malon just sobbing harder now and he clenched his own eyes, his own tears starting to slip free into warm red hair as they clung to each other. 

Sheik remained quiet where she was sitting, a small and sad smile on her face as she watched the pair. Her partner always kept himself held so stiffly in public, barely reacting with his real emotions, just the fake ones he painted on his face to appease the public. It was  _ hard _ after all these years of being peacefully retired, to see him be forced to wear that mask again.

_ This _ was however a relief to see even after all the shit the pair of them have had to endure over the years up until their retirement, it allowed him to prove to himself that he was still human first. He needed this,  _ both of them did _ , Sheik thought as she tore her eyes away from both people she saw as siblings to look out the window at the slightly cloudy sky. 

For now she would remain silent and let them be. 

Then the door opened.


	4. Lament

When the door slammed behind him, Twilight stalked his way down the hallway, moving past hospital staff, patients, and visitors with ease. He’d felt the slight weight on his shadow from Midna’s presence, but didn’t say anything until he was already halfway down the stairs. He stopped at a landing between floors and let his head drop forward. One hand came up to push hard on his forehead, as he took a few deep breaths. He felt lighter as a hand settled on his shoulder and squeezed it.

“ _ Fuck _ … I have to apologize to my dad.” He murmured softly before dropping his hand back to his side to look up at his partner.

“Don’t worry about it right now. They aren’t going anywhere for some time. Let’s just meet up with the others. Flora was practically climbing the walls according to Warriors and Artemis. I checked my phone and Artemis sent a video of her pacing.” Midna pulled her hand back and stood to her full height, turning to continue down the stairs. “Come on puppy.”

Twilight rolled his eyes at the nickname that she had given to him at the end of last year and it  _ stuck _ . He followed after her as they continued down the stairs to the ground floor. “Yea, Flora probably won’t settle until she hears it from me.”

The group in the main lobby had grown a lot from the ones who had  _ initially _ gone with before Midna had taken them all out of harm’s way once Wild had been found. All of Wild’s friends were there as well as several of his own. A few of them turned towards the door when he and Midna opened it and Flora’s eyes snapped over to them when she turned midstep in her nearly endless route and froze upon seeing them both. 

Legend was sitting between Hyrule and Wind. Warriors was stiff as a board on Winds other side and Sky was hovering in midair with his legs crossed slightly behind him, ignoring the few empty chairs. Four was next to Hyrule and the girls were all scattered around them watching Flora’s pacing. Artemis looked ready to drag the younger girl to a chair next to her own and pin her there somehow while Fable, Dusk, Dawn, Aurora, and Dot had faint smiles on their faces. 

Sun had been busy with her hands, a length of fabric in her lap, needle and thread in her grasp and she looked up at the pairs entrance when Tetra nudged her shoulder. Even Mipha, Sidon, Daruk, Urbossa, and Revali were there, all quiet and waiting for news scattered through the group. With everyone’s attention on them, Twilight moved to one of the empty chairs and sat down.

“Legend has probably already told everyone the bare bones, but Wild is unconscious right now. I… It’s not  _ my _ place to tell you everything that is wrong, but he’s going to be  _ physically _ fine. What happened to him we only know a part of, the rest is all assumed unless he tells us different, but-” he clicked his mouth shut for a moment, taking a slow breath as his temper started to rise again. He closed his eyes and let it out before he spoke again. “ _ But _ , what we do know makes me wish I could have helped my dad and Sheik.”

Their corner of the lobby was quiet, hardly anyone moved from where they had been listening. An array of emotions was on everyone's faces, upset being the most visible as well as some clenched jaws. Flora finally sat down when Twilight fell silent, her hands coming together in front of her face as she bowed her head with a frustrated noise. “We should have tried harder to find him faster!”

A pause was there for a moment before another spoke up, Sun was watching Flora, her brows drawn together as she spoke up. “It was  _ impossible _ to do it faster Flora. None of us or the adults could connect the dots any faster. Majora knew what she was doing, please don’t try to shoulder all of the blame for  _ her _ actions.”   
  


“Sun’s right. By the time anyone got to the next piece, Majora was already gone and there was nothing any of us could do until she started repeating locations.  _ You’re _ the one who started putting it together and narrowed it down to find him with that map of yours.” Artemis’ voice was firm and everyone looked at her, making noises of agreement. 

Sky spoke up next, drifting a little to the side, so he could be seen by her when she looked up. “You’re the one who took what little fragments the animals told me, put it together, and found him.

“Flora, you might not have shown any powers just yet, but you  _ are _ resourceful and you adapted very quickly with what you were given. Don’t sell yourself short or blame yourself, Wild would shove a frog down the back of your shirt, and you know it, if he heard you right now.” Wind piped up, leaning forward so he could see around the others to catch Flora’s eyes with a grin of his own. “Or he’d make  _ you _ eat it this time.”

“Wh- He  _ told you _ about that?!” It was good to get a laugh out of the group with such heavy news looming over them along with the anxiety still lurking in the wings with how Wild would react to everything. They were all still  _ kids and teenagers _ , none of them should have had to deal with a friend going missing for months. 

The laughter continued to build as a red-faced Flora bolted up to her feet and ran after Wind who took off with a gleeful cackle, weaving between the members of their group before darting out the main doors the older teen hot on his heels. Some of the others started to move around too, gathering their things to head off towards their own homes. 

Right now there wasn’t anything they could do beyond clutter up what should be a quiet area, and getting under the feet of people who should be there. Quiet murmurs were exchanged, requests for updates, and wrangling promises to be told  _ any news _ at all from both Legend and Twilight. Flora returned a little bit after a large part of the group had left, smug with a few twigs sticking out of her hair, as she walked in with her head held high.

Twilight was talking with Warriors quietly, asking him to tell their coach why he wouldn’t be at practice the next few days if he asked, when Warriors covered his mouth with a hand and his shoulders started shaking from muffled laughter. Turning around the wolf-shifter blinked and then turned back to face Warriors. “I don’t want to know how she managed  _ that _ .”

Wind was soaked to the bone and covered from head to toe in sand and leaves, having been shoved into a fountain, only to get out of it and then be knocked  _ immediately  _ into one of the sandy gardens for visitors to admire. He hadn’t had a chance to even roll over to retaliate before he spotted her dashing back to the lobby door. Now he was going to  _ wait _ her out, dripping sand and water.

“You don’t mind if I stay with you for the night do you Twilight, Legend?” Flora innocently asked as she pulled a few leaves from her hair. “I don’t want to go home tonight.”

Legends shoulders were shaking from his own amusement and he shrugged. “It’s fine with me, the nurse who told us everything said we’ve got a waiting room all to ourselves since it’s likely we’ll be here for a while. I think you’re welcome to stay too Artemis.”

“Yea, your mom is up there in the room with our mom and dad. Should actually be going back up, I still need to apologize.” The last part was murmured under Twilights breath as Flora leaned over to grab the bag she had with her. He looked up to Midna who rolled her eyes with a smile and he gave her a small one before she started to leave with the others. “We’ll keep you informed, we promise. See you tomorrow if you come in. Come on you two, Legend and I will show you where we’re going.”

With a wave and a chorus of good-byes the much smaller group split up and went their separate ways, a muffled and strangled sounding noise coming from outside as Wind realized his target was leaving to safety, was the last thing they heard before the door closed behind them. Flora had given the younger a cheeky wave and muffled laughter against her shoulder when she looked back to him. Once the door was shut though, the smile fell from Flora’s face and she started to worry at her lower lip with her teeth as they climbed the stairs back up to the floor Wild was on.

When the four reached the stretch of hallway that the waiting room they occupied was located, there were a few doctors and nurses talking in low hushed tones, falling silent and darting glances towards the room Twilight and Legend knew that Wild was in. Both of them wanted to rush in to see what was wrong, but the door itself was closed, so they turned towards the waiting room door which was open.

  
Inside, Sheik was sitting in her wheelchair in the same spot she had been in when they left, an amused light in her eyes when she looked at the group. “Artemis, Flora. Boys, I remembered  _ why _ I don’t upset your mother and  _ exactly _ why your father fell in love with her.”


	5. How does it feel?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Malon b*tch slaps a man, Time is very proud of his wife, Sheik is amused as hell.
> 
> An OC is introduced, he plays a slightly important part to Wild's part of the story but he will not be a main character.
> 
> Short chapter again.

When the door opened, Time looked up to see who was coming in the room, his arm still holding Malon close to his body. It took a moment to realize  _ who _ was walking in, eyes directed down to the clipboard in his hand. He still looked almost the same as the last time he’d seen the man across the table on the day he signed his child’s life away, just looking weathered and tired. 

As if feeling the burning stare on his person, Dr. Thomas Devland looked up and met Time’s gaze and froze once he recognized the taller man. Time was  _ furious _ that  _ this man _ was the doctor assigned to his son, and his sudden tension had Malon sniffling and pulling her head back from his chest where she’d had her face buried. 

“Link?” Malon turned her head and followed his stare to see the man behind them. He looked like a normal man, someone rather plain in her opinion  but she liked blonds . The new presence in the room had light brown hair streaked with grey and dark blue hazel eyes behind a pair of wire framed glasses, a slightly crooked nose and 5 o’clock shadow. He was taller than her, but quite a bit shorter than her husband and she had never seen this man before.

“Oh,  _ shit _ .” Was the soft interjection to the silence from behind them. 

A glance back over her shoulder to Sheik had her narrowing her eyes and looking up to Time’s face again. “Honey, who is this?”

Time looked down to Malon then back up to the other man and slowly lifted an eyebrow before slowly smiling pleasantly. “Dear, I’d like for you to meet Dr. Thomas Devland. He’s the one in charge of  _ our _ son’s health.”

Malon’s eyes narrowed slightly at the way her husband spoke, _ knowing _ there was more than what was being said. She looked at the other man who had the clipboard hanging at his side now, slowly growing paler by the second, almost blending into the white of the coat around his shoulders. “Okay..? It’s his  _ job _ honey. He’s a doctor.”

“He’s also Wild’s birth father.”

" _ Oh fuck.” _

Time just threw a flat stare over to Sheik who was just watching the back of Malon’s head. What Time’s brain failed to remember was _exactly_ how much she loved her boys, because there was suddenly a _pleasant_ smile on his wifes’ face. Similar to what his own had looked like a few minutes before, but he _knew_ this particular look. This was the exact same look she’d had on her face when his boss, Rhoam, had refused to allow Wild to serve his detentions in the gym cleaning the props. The same look she had when his _absolutely_ _terrifyingly_ _beautiful_ wife had pulled a _living and breathing cow_ out of nowhere and thrown it at Rhoam’s startled face while screaming at him a slew of profanity that was enough to make a sailor blush.

“Oh really?”

Dr. Devland swallowed thickly and parted his lips to speak, but his words died on his tongue as Malon pulled away from Time’s hold and she took a step away from him to face him. A heavy weight settled into his stomach as she put her hands on her hips, feet planted firmly.

“So you’re the man who signed  _ my _ baby boy’s life away?”

There was a small crowd beginning to gather a short distance away from the room, some nurses, a trio of doctors, and some curious patients peeking around some corners and a few door frames. One brave soul was standing in the middle of the hallway by the desk, a coffee cup partway up to his mouth as he watched. 

One moment Malon was smiling and the next her face dropped and she took a step forward, pulling her right arm back and she  _ swung _ . The open palm of her hand struck true, sending the other man staggering to the side, glasses askew, a perfect outline quickly forming. Her hand stung but she ignored it in favor of hissing at the man. “That’s for abandoning  _ our _ son to the wolves just to save your own skin.” 

Thomas’ clipboard hit the floor with a clatter as he brought a hand up to cover the left side of his face, the other having been thrown out to catch his balance on the doorframe. He remained there for a moment, stunned before he turned his head back to look up at the two. Malon’s eyes were still puffy and red from her tears, and Time’s face was unreadable to the doctor, but Sheik knew for a fact that Time was impressed and very pleased.

With a rapidly swelling and reddening face, Thomas leaned forward to pick up his fallen clipboard, sighing heavily as he straightened up to meet Malon and Time’s gaze. His unoccupied hand reaching up to re adjust his glasses on his face“I did it so that I could protect my own family in person Mrs. Forrester. Take him in and be on the run from the Council and eventually behind bars or sign him over and go back to my wife and children to support them. Those were the only choices I was given.”

Time’s right arm shot out and looped around Malon’s shoulders, pulling her back as she moved to slap the other side of the mans’ face. Fury was rolling off of her in waves now as she started spewing strings of obscenities and creative insults regarding him and various medical equipment and Time’s grip on her was the only reason she wasn’t able to slam him into a wall. He pulled her back to his chest and let her struggle for a few moments still yelling, resting his chin on the top of her head, his eyes shut. “Malon… Don’t, it’s not worth doing anything right now. Wild’s home and he’ll be safe. No one is going to take him away from us again.”

The fury slowly dropped to a simmering anger, and Malon stopped trying to pull free from the hold on her. She was extremely red faced now and her teeth were bared at the man who was patiently waiting in resignation for them. Both of her hands grasped tightly onto the arm across her chest and she took a few slow breaths, reigning in her own temper before she relaxed and Time let her go.

Before Thomas could say anything, Time turned Malon around and put his forehead to hers. “I love you. But right now we need to keep our heads level for Wild alright?”

Malon pressed her eyes shut tightly and shuddered out a long breath. “I know Link… I love you too and you’re right. Let’s go see Wild.”

When they pulled apart there was a soft cough made to draw their attention and Malon’s eyes pinned the doctor to his place. Thomas spoke up, ready to lead them both out of the room to where Wild was sleeping, but this time he didn’t flinch at the burning stare directed at him. “Immediate Family only for now until he is coherent. Partners and friends won’t be allowed until we can make sure he’s not a danger to himself. We don’t know if too many people crowding him would cause him to panic so it’s for  _ everyones _ safety.”

Time had began to bristle along side Malon with what was said before the man finished speaking. As much as he hated the thought, it made a terrible sense. But he did have one thing he was going to make  _ perfectly _ clear to the man. “If he panics, no one will be cuffing him to that bed. Regardless if it’s hospital procedure. I find out that he’s been cuffed to the bed at any point…”

“He won’t be. At most we will hold him down until he’s sedated but we will not be tying him down to the bed at any point. This way.” Not remaining in the room for any longer, the doctor turned on his heel and left the room, leading Time and Malon out down the hall to the room Wild was sleeping in.

Sheik stared at the doorway for a few moments, her shoulders shaking in silent laughter and pity for the poor fools who get between Malon and her boys. She had only just managed to stop laughing when the four teens arrived in the room. “Artemis, Flora. Boys, I remembered  _ why _ I don’t upset your mother and  _ exactly _ why your father fell in love with her.”

The looks of confusion on their faces were worth the wait. She would tell them later.


	6. Head Above Water

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Within Wild's hospital room Malon makes a vow. She learns how many times Time had to Reset to save their son and something happens neither expected.
> 
> TW: Mentions of Death, Blood, Manipulation, and Mental Abuse

Just over half an hour later, Dr. Devland left them alone in Wild’s room, Malon sagged into one of the chairs and covered her face with one hand while the other was clinging tightly to the side bar of Wild’s bed. Time was standing next to her his right hand wrapped around Malon’s as he watched Wild’s sleeping face. 

Wild was breathing evenly a tube across his face to help supply him oxygen. He had two IV’s in his arms, one on his right hand with antibiotics and the other on the left with fluids. His right ear was bandaged firmly and there was a thin layer of scar softening cream on both palms. He looked far smaller than he was before Majora had taken him, and what the young nurse had told them being confirmed by Devland, she had withheld meals from him. _Multiple_ _times_.

A small cracking was heard from the bedframe before Malon pulled her hand away from the plastic and grasped firmly onto Times wrist and she looked up to him. A fierce look was on her face. “Link, Majora better hope that you are the one to take her down, because she will get _no_ _mercy_ from me after what she did to him.”

Time watched Malon’s face and then leaned forward again to put his forehead against hers again. “I know. There’s a line for it I think, but you’re at the top and I honestly won’t stop you from doing it. Let me get myself a chair real fast alright?”

“You’re going to be heading to sleep once you sit down in it mister, and I had  _ better _ be the first one to break her face. I have a bone to pick with her. Sheik didn't do near enough damage to her. It's a start, but not enough in my books.” Malon let her husbands wrist go and turned her eyes to Wild’s face again. At the moment she was all out of tears, feeling exhausted and wrung out from the sheer intensity of the emotions she had gone through so far that day. 

Once Time settled down in a chair he brought to her side and they sat in silence, broken only by the steady beeping of the heart monitor. Malon leaned her body towards her husband’s chair and softly asked the question she always did after an encounter with Majora. “How many this time Link?”

It hung in the air for a moment unanswered before there was a shaky laugh and an audible swallow. “ _ 34 _ . 34 times and… She-”

Time inhaled sharply and slowly blew out before he continued, Malon waiting patiently as she always had. “She used Wild against us in a few of them. Fuck… Malon, he was  _ terrified of Sheik and I _ , absolutely terrified and it  _ hurt _ seeing that fear in his eyes. Twilight and Legend… I’ve never been so thankful for what I can do even if it’s horrible to have more often than not. Twilight was right when he went off on me earlier, I didn’t want to think about it for a little while, but Majora  _ trained _ him to obey her or risk punishment.”

With another shaking breath he let his head drop back to the chair and he opened his eyes, one seeing and one not to stare at the ceiling. Malon had slipped her hand into his and squeezed his fingers gently, resulting in him returning the gesture firmly before he found his voice, turning his head to look at his son’s sleeping face. “The fourth Reset… She had me pinned between two beams of steel, a chunk of the ceiling, and a piece of rebar was through my stomach. I don’t know what happened to Sheik or Twi or Legend in that one, but she left long enough to go get Wild from whatever room he was in.”

“He was barefoot and shaking so hard it was  _ visible _ . I was getting exhausted and losing blood and Majora said  _ something _ to him that had him stiffening and she gave him a knife. He didn’t move for a few seconds and she just…  _ ‘If you don’t kill him within the next thirty seconds Link, you’ll be in your Room for a week.’ _ ” Time fell quiet again, lifting his head up to look at Malon. “I told him to do it when he crouched over me. Scared, shaking, and…” 

He couldn’t get the words out now, his mind replaying that vivid memory for him. Majora had broken his youngest in that moment, with that  _ demand _ . Threat of a punishment that Time himself  _ never _ put Wild through, even as a child. Watching his little boy hold a knife over his fathers heart point down, tears streaking from his eyes. He  _ hated _ that Reset with such a passion, that when Wild continued to hesitate, Time lifted his only working arm up to steady the knife and gave his  _ son _ a weak and bloody smile.  _ ‘I won’t let her do this to you again Wild, end it and I’ll try again and again and  _ ** _again_ ** _ until you’re home safe. I promise and you know how serious I take promises.’ _

It was quick, Wilds eyes snapped shut, tears leaking from his eyes down his face, as he pushed the knife down in one fast motion with a wail. Only a sharp pain and then Time opened his eyes once more staring into Majora’s crazed pair across the warehouse and the fight began anew. Six of the 34 Resets she used Wild against him in someway. Twelve of them she used Twilight. Five had Legend as the victim. With the remaining eleven she used Sheik. 

He couldn't tell Malon that their little boy was soaked in red, that Wild had his throat slit  twice by Majora’s hand when he struggled and refused her orders. Couldn't tell her that Twilight had been dropped at his feet, head and neck at a horrid angle in one, a knife through his chest in another. It would never be told that Legend had been left to bleed out the only time she had grabbed him as he tried to get to a wall, nor that walls had been shattered that he was running through.

_ None _ of these fucking Reset's would ever be told in full to anyone but his therapist because  _ he failed every single one of his boys in them _ . He failed  _ Sheik _ when her skull was caved in and watched her be crushed by a piece of the ceiling after Majora knocked her out in another.  _ He couldn't tell her that  _ ** _she_ ** _ was th- _

A pair of warm hands cradling his face drew his attention and he blinked himself back to reality, Malon’s worried face only inches from his own as she had sat herself sideways across his lap when he’d stopped speaking. “Link, honey, come on, it’s not going to happen. You  _ stopped _ whatever could have happened, wake up and come back to me, fairy boy.”

“You haven’t called me that in  _ years _ .” Time managed to weakly chuckle, his breathing having been rapid before, now slowing with the memories being pushed aside thanks to his wife’s hands and presence. 

A small smile was on her face as she pressed a kiss to his forehead. “I know I haven’t but that’s what you  _ always _ will be to me. You looked like a fairy the first time I saw you in that ridiculous costume you were in.”

“Sheik’s the one who designed it, besides back then it was the  _ height _ of fashion for Supers.”

“You looked like you should have been frolicking in a field Link. Making daisy chains and yelling at the moon, not saving innocent farm girls from a madwoman. And don’t you  _ dare _ blame Sheik for your sense of fashionable spandex.” Malon knew full well  _ exactly _ who had designed the outfit and wore it all of one time before his partner physically dragged him to a tailor for a different outfit. Talk about a first impression.

“ _ You _ were an innocent farm girl? Malon, you threw a  _ cow _ , a bull if I remember right, at her and took her down for me.” He was ignoring the stab at his choice in costume. He loved that old thing, still had it stuffed away in a box in the back of their closet. He might give it to Wild in the future.

“Damn right I did. I’d do it again in a heartbeat too.” Malon wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled him against her to help ground him further. She hated when there were so many Resets like this because none of them were the same, some far worse than others, and the one he had stopped describing to her made her chest  _ ache _ because she could put together a rough idea for what happened.

He wrapped his uninjured arm around her waist and just breathed in her scent, his nose against her collarbone. “I still want to know where you keep getting these cows you throw from.”

“Not telling~, thats a family secret I’m going to pass it down to Twilight when he’s a little older, Wild and Legend too if they can pick it up.”

  
“Damn, I tried.” An amused snort broke free before he took a shaky breath and felt his shoulders droop slightly as he held her close. They remained sitting like that, his wife leaving the subject alone for now, a relief with all of it being so  _ raw _ for him still. He was almost lulled into a doze, her own slow breathing falling into sync with his when there was a sudden spike from the heart monitor in the room along with a whimper of fear.


	7. Saturn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TW: Needles, panic attack, mentions of manipulation, mentions of abuse

Something cool was being blown gently into his nose and his eyes felt like weights were holding them down  he knew this feeling, he didn’t like it . He was laying on something soft and he felt  _ warm _ for once, a stark contrast to the usual chill in the air of his room with Mamajora. His mind finally registered the steady beeping by his left ear and he turned his head slightly, struggling to open his eyes. 

For a moment, his mind fought to organize what he was seeing, and instantly fear dropped into his belly like a stone. Wild felt and heard his heart pick up at the sight of Time and Malon sitting together on a chair next to his bed.  _ why were they here? was this a trick? he wasn’t in his room? none of this was supposed to be in his room. _ The beeping increased in speed, coming faster in time with his heartbeat and he remained frozen in place staring at the two people he had once felt absolutely  _ safe _ with.

Malon had froze when the heart monitor kicked up. Then her mind caught up to itself and she pulled back to look over at the bed,  _ seeing her baby boy watching them with fear in his eyes _ . She moved carefully, allowing Time to stand up when he squeezed his arm lightly around her waist. “Wild, sweetie?”

Time stood up slowly, watching as Wild’s eyes locked onto him as he was the taller of the two now standing next to his bed. He let Malon step closer though as she  _ did _ look less threatening than he did in any given situation. Both brows together with worry, he kept his voice soft like Malon’s not wanting him to startle anymore than he already was. “Link,  _ Wild _ , you’re safe. I promise you are kiddo…”

That hope for him to be eased dropped as the heart monitor rose rapidly and Wild’s breathing hitched and his attention was drawn to his hands.  _ To where the IV’s were embedded in his skin. _ Time felt like time slowed down as he watched his son’s pupils contract and he reached for the call button.

-

Wild felt his lungs constrict as both of his parents stood up and next to the soft  wrong, this is very  _ wrong _ this wasn’t real it’s not surface he was laying on. Both of his hands twitched and flexed, a small twinge of pain in the backs of each drawing his attention and he looked down his body to see the two fluid filled tubes leading into the backs of them. He felt his throat close up between one sharp breath and the sudden rock that lodged itself in his throat, vision tunneling. 

_ He was going to be in so much trouble! Mamajora would lock him in his Room for weeks again! She was going to leave the window open for him to try and escape from and expected him to do it again! His hands still hurt from the last time! Not again! Please no! _

“I-I’ll be good! I-I’m trying to be g-good Mamajora!” He finally choked out with a whimper, flinching away from the hand that pushed firmly down on his shoulder. Wild twisted in the blanket, trying to get free of them to wedge himself someplace he could feel safe. His fingers scrambled to reach the backs of his hands, his actions pulling at the tubes, sliding them halfway free from his skin, frantic.

Another pair of hands closed around his wrists, keeping his arms away from each other as he twisted back and forth.  _ needles were in his skin! get them out! _ Wild jerked again and again, trying to pull back from each new hold, he started to kick as much as he could through the blankets. Each breath grew labored with the lack of air and his eyes weren't focusing on anything but the two needles in his hands  _ putting something into him _ .

Even more hands reached for him, coming down around his ankles and knees, his upper arms, and a pair pushed down on his shoulders. Fear was chasing him swiftly, nightmares coming to life and he could only  _ beg _ to be left alone. Suddenly, everything seemed to slow down with a pinch at the junction of his shoulder and neck.

Steadily, his breathing eased, the weight of the hands holding him lightened, sound started to register again, but it wasn't going to last. Something slid across his cheek, down to his neck, and into his hair. Was he crying? Did he start it somehow?  _ He hasn't cried since a month -or was it two- after Mamajora found him in that maze. _

Gradually his struggling ceased and he lay, blinking slowly up at the ceiling. There were soft words being spoken to his left, but he couldn't make out what they were, the hands that were on him still were gentle now.  _ It was fine though right, maybe Mamajora set this up as a test? He could only hope he passed. _

Between one blink and the next, Wild slid under the warm blanket of darkness being offered.  _ Mamajora might let him truly sleep tonight if he passed the test, right? _

-

Outside the young man's mind, Time pressed the button on the side of the bed as Malon rushed to grab hold of Wilds hands once he moved to pull the IV’s from his skin. "Wild, sweetheart no! You  _ can't _ take those out!"

Watching him struggle and pull and  _ twist _ in an effort to break free from her hold ached deep in her chest. Time joined her once the button was lit up and he gently pushed down on Wild's shoulder, trying to ease him back down to the mattress. It only seemed to make matters worse as his son writhed, nearly pulling the left tube free from it’s hold. What came out of Wild’s mouth had his heart stopping in his chest, before a  _ veritable flood _ of anger rolled over him.  _ “I-I’ll be good! I-I’m trying to be g-good Mamajora!” _

The door opening in a rush of footsteps as the room filled with nurses and Thomas, kept Time from snarling like the wolf that was now running high under his skin. One nurse gently nudged him aside as she took his spot, her hands pressing down on his now writhing son as they tried to hold him still.

_ “I p-promise I’ve been behaving! Please d-don’t punish me again! Stop it please you’re hurting me! I don’t like this feeling!”  _ Malon’s arms wrapped around his waist as they both watched as the staff worked to calm the young man. One rushed out of the room, returning only a moment later, a syringe in hand, quickly filling it’s chamber with fluid. 

Wild’s thrashing knocked the oxygen tube askew on his face and tears were starting to form in his eyes as he continued to try and break free. Seeing everything happening from the side, Malon squeezed her arms around her husbands waist, feeling the burn of tears at the corners of her eyes but unable to shed them. Her voice was barely audible over the panic their son was going through and the forced calm being projected from the nurses. “Oh  _ Wild _ ... What… What did She  _ do _ to you?”

Time’s fingers twisted into the fabric of Malon’s shirt and he swallowed thickly. His own words were just as quiet as hers. “I… I don’t know, I don’t think I  _ want _ to know everything she did to him.”

“ _ No more needles please! I-I-! _ ” A choked sob broke free from their son’s mouth and Time felt his wife press her face into his chest, her shoulders shaking from her own upset. “ _ Please Mamajora…  _ ** _please_ ** _ ... N-no more. _ ”

The sedative was injected into his skin, a pair of hands holding his head carefully but firmly while another nurse held his shoulder down to the bed so that the  _ syringe _ could be emptied. With how fast their son’s heart was beating it was only a matter of beats before his actions began to slow down to weak jerks and jolts. Time watched as tears slid down his son’s cheeks and into the strands of his uneven hair.

The beeping of the monitor evened out and frantic blue eyes clouded over with each slow blink. His head lolled to the side, eyes unfocused, eerily similar to how he looked in one of the recordings that Majora had sent to them. When he spoke, his words were slurred and felt like a spike had been shoved through Time’s chest. “ _ D-Did I p’ss th’ t’st Mamajora? D’dn’t leave th’ room… St’yed in... _ ”

Over the head of one of the nurses, Time saw Thomas’ face go through a myriad of emotions, one of which he could clearly see as guilt and another as regret. It wouldn’t change his opinion of the man, but now he wanted to know what changed for the man. Later on he would speak to the man, but right now he needed to focus on his family. 

One by one the nurses left the room until the young woman who delivered the original news to them, was all that remained with the doctor. She was carefully tending to his hands, easing out the IV from his left with a furrowed brow and starting the process to replace it. Thomas was readjusting the heart monitors on Wild’s torso and easing the oxygen tube back in to place hooked over his ears. The man’s hand lingered for a moment by the teenagers bandage free ear before he pulled back and turned to help with replacing the bags.

Time caught the action and ignored it for now, more concerned with the weak sobs his wife was releasing against his chest. A twinge of pain from his left shoulder indicated that the pain reliever he had taken when his arm was put back in it’s socket was wearing off, and he carefully moved that arm to hold her a little closer with both wrapping around her. “Shh...Easy Malon, He’s going to be fine. We…  _ All _ of us will get through this.”

She just buried her head further against his chest, fingers digging desperately into the muscles of his back and hiccuped out a harsher sob as the other two finished what they were doing. Dr. Devland gestured for the young nurse to leave and he waited quietly for the pair to acknowledge his presence. When the sobs faded into shuddering breaths, both turned their attention to the other man who spoke softly.

“For now we’re going to be giving him a low level sedative so he can remain somewhat coherent when he wakes up next. I do advise caution however, try not to allow anything to raise his heart rate. It will exhaust him rapidly and he will fall asleep again.” He gave a nod in Wild’s direction where the teen was once again sleeping soundly. “One of the nurses will be in to check on him in an hour. If… If the two of you need anything for the night, ask her or call the desk. Good night Mr. and Mrs. Forrester. I will see you in a few hours.”

Now that they were alone once again, both of them turned their eyes to their sleeping child. Time took a slow breath and turned them both to the largest chair in the room, meant for visitors to be sleeping in. “Let’s get some sleep, both of us need it and I want to be more awake when Wild wakes up again.”

Malon simply nodded and moved with him, grabbing the blanket that had been folded on the little chest of drawers as she passed it. Letting Time get settled first, she lay against his side, pulling the fabric over them, her head resting on his chest over his heart, ear firmly against the steady sound. Quiet settled over them for a few moments before she spoke, her fingers twitching in his shirt. “Link. If she ever shows her face near our boys again,  _ I will put her down myself _ . That… I  ** _swear_ ** that if she hurts any of our boys ever again after this, I will bring  _ my _ wrath down on her head.”

“I believe you. I won’t stop you either, never would.” Time slid his hand up and down her spine, intent on soothing her, a small smile on his face at the thought of Majora not being able to keep up with Malon’s thrown cattle. A faint movement along a wall had his attention and he smiled faintly knowing who and what it was. “Get some sleep, I mean it. I’ll be joining you soon enough.”

She made a soft hum and closed her eyes, falling swiftly into a deep and exhausted sleep. When Time was sure that Malon was asleep, he took a breath and looked at where he had seen the movement on the wall before he murmured softly. “Legend, I know you’re there. You  _ should _ be with your brother in the other room…”

A soft pop was heard as his newest son pulled out of the wall, scratching lightly at his cheek in embarrassment. He glanced between the two on the chair and his sleeping brother on the bed. Legend’s brows furrowed slightly in worry. “I just wanted to come and check up on him. We… All of us in the waiting room could hear him.”

That dropped a weight in his stomach and Time looked over to the doorway then back to his son. “I’m sorry you all heard that. He…”

“Dad, it’s not something you can stop. We  _ know _ that he was really hurt by that whackjob, he’s not going to be alright immediately, but-”, Legend stopped for a moment, taking a deep breath, watching Wilds’s face. “But he will recover. Everyone wants to pitch in, all of us, his friends, several of our classmates and teachers… He’s got support because he’s a  _ good _ person.”

“Ma- that  _ bitch _ , won’t get to Wild ever again. The three months without him, one of which I wasn’t even  _ conscious _ for, that was bad and  _ I’ve _ only known him for just about that long before this happened. No one deserves to go through the shit he went through after what he’s done for people.” He had stepped up next to Wild’s bed, his hands coming out to grip the handrail, eyes fixed on the bandaged ear. “Wild doesn’t deserve the shit that has been dealt to him, especially because of who gave birth to him. She’s  _ not _ his mother. Mom is.”

Time didn’t scold Legend for his cursing because it was just the two of them, and because he was right. His own eye was trained on Wild’s face now, watching the little twitches of his eyes behind the lids. “He’ll have plenty of support, but we will have to move at his pace. If we rush him it will make it all worse and he  _ won’t _ come out of this as himself.”

“Get him a service dog you and Twi can depend on when neither of you are around. Animals listen better than humans do, Sky can tell you that too. I know the wait list is long, but I think they would make an exception for Wild being a teenage kidnapping survivor. I just know he’ll need  _ someone _ when people are just too much for him.” Legend’s words were soft before he pulled back from the bed, not wanting to touch Wild and wake him yet, he looked like he needed all of the sleep he could possibly get. 

Now that he actually  _ looked _ at the other, Legend could see there were bags visible under his eyes and his skin was far too pale, especially against the bleached sheets of the bed. Legend made note of what he could see so that he could tell Twi and everyone. He wasn’t going to sugar-coat it, not after what all of them had heard through the open doors. A shake of his head snapped him out of his train of thought and he looked back to his dad and mom.

“I should get back to the others, I told them I wasn’t going to linger just in case. Wanted to check in on him and both of you after what we heard. Is… Is there anything you want me to tell everyone dad?” Legend had moved to the wall next to the chair Time and Malon were laying in and had his hand pushed into it slightly.

Time sighed heavily, Legend’ words making a point, there  _ would _ be times that he nor Twi would be able to be there for Wild, and would need  _ something _ to talk to that could be with him. He was going to bring it up with the staff in the morning to see about registering Wild for a service dog matching in the coming months. “Not at the moment, just tell Twilight that you two will be able to visit in the morning. He  _ won’t _ be entirely coherent, but he will be awake, so warn him at least, please.”

Legend hesitated for a moment, looking back to the bed again before he nodded and turned back. “Alright. We’ll bring breakfast when we come in. Make a quick run to that coffee shop down the block before we do.”

“If Midna comes back, make a stop at home to get clothes for us. She can grab things for your mother. I don’t think we’ll be going home for a few days.” Time gave the other a wry smile, before gesturing with his chin. “Good night Legend. Tell everyone that too.”

“Night dad. See you in the morning then.” Legend returned the smile slightly before he slid fully into the wall and left the room.

Time let his head drop back to the back of the chair and he closed his eye, sighing heavily. His mind was racing, but he slowly forced his errant thoughts of the hows, whens, and what's to stop. The door opening to let a nurse in to check on Wild had him cracking his eye open to see who came in, but he ignored the young woman as she did her job. By the time she left the room, he had finally dozed off, mind settled for the night.


	8. Shadow of the Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A return to Twilight, Legend, Sheik, Flora, and Artemis's side of the previous chapter.

Twilight was pacing the room, hands flexing at his sides and a low continuous growl rumbling in his chest. Hearing everything from down the hallway in the room his brother was in had his instincts urging him to go to the younger side and not leave him. Watching nurses drop what they were doing mid task just to run to the room when the panicked voice of  _ his little brother _ crying out hurt that he couldn’t be there.

Earlier, all five of them in the room had listened to all of this going on from the waiting room. Flora had been nearly in tears, her hands covering her mouth to muffle choked sobs. Artemis was stony faced as she had an arm wrapped around Flora’s shoulder, murder in her eyes. Sheik was harder to read, but her fingers were stark white around the armrest of her wheelchair, lips pressed into thin lines. Legend had been grinding his teeth, hands twisting the fabric of the blanket he’d claimed earlier into a tight twist as he stared at the wall outside the open door.

Twilight knew what picture he had painted, a caged and feral animal, eyes luminous from the undercurrent of his anger. His inner wolf was running so _ incredibly  _ close to the surface, that his fingernails had sharpened and canines had lengthened. Every word that was said in the hallway was sharp, loud and unmistakable to his heightened hearing. 

Every. 

_ Single _ . 

** _Word._ **

Coming out of his brothers mouth just had his lips curling back a little further and the hair on his arms and the back of his neck lifting higher in his anger. One of the nurses had gone to walk past their room and froze when she glanced in and saw Twilight, she ended up looking like a rabbit being hunted. Another nurse broke her line of sight with him and dragged the poor woman out of his gaze a moment later, but it had done nothing to calm his animal side.

When everything had calmed down and the sound of his brothers panicking tapered off with the last slurred words, Twilight  _ had _ snarled violently aloud. That prompted Artemis to snap at him, which resulted in him whirling around to snarl at her before he froze in place, seeing how upset Flora was. Some of the rage melted from his shoulders, and he closed his eyes, lifting his hands up to push the heels of his palms to his eyes. Several deep breaths later his anger boxed away for now, he pulled them back, looking at the pair of girls he saw as sisters. 

“I’m sorry… I-”

“We  _ know _ Twilight. All of us are feeling your anger.” Sheik spoke up behind him, her eyes icy, not aimed at him thankfully. “All of us hate what’s happening and has happened, but you,  _ you need to control your temper _ . We’re in a hospital right now with other patients on this floor with their own visitors. Try to stay as calm as you can, you’ll have plenty of time to take out your emotions on the training field in the future.”

A jerky nod was given before Twilight started to pace along the middle of the room. It was more of a stalk as he moved, the echoes still lingering. His ears were still sharpened and he heard when the door just down the hallway shut behind the last person to leave the room. The doctor walked past the door and Twilight got a better look at him this time and saw there was a fading red mark on the side of his face. 

Behind him there was a snicker and he looked over his shoulder to Sheik and saw that she had watched the man go by too.  _ Now _ his curiosity was piqued. “Who was that?”

“Just your brothers doctor. He said something that really upset your mother. Remember I said that I was reminded of why I don’t do that.” The light of amusement had softened the look in her eyes and she shifted to get more comfortable in her chair again. “Your mother nearly knocked him off his feet with how hard she slapped him. It was a  _ glorious _ sight, he bruised instantly and I think she almost broke his jaw. Don’t worry about him though, he’s a healer.”

There was more to it, his instincts told him that much, but he didn’t push it. It obviously wasn’t for him to press on, no matter how much he wanted to know. But he did huff out a small laugh and returned to his pacing, which lasted all of 10 seconds before Legend stood up, dropping his blanket aside.

“I’m going to go check on them. I’ll be back soon.” Before anyone could stop him, he was in the wall and moving quickly through the plane to the other room.

“He’s going to get in so much trouble one of these days. He’s lucky Rhoam hasn’t figured out it’s him putting his things in the walls.” muttered Sheik.

Flora snorted from where she was leaning against Artemis’ side still and she wiped at her eyes with the corner of her blanket. “My  _ father _ is more annoyed with losing his things than finding out who is doing it. He has been talking about putting security cameras in his office however to find the one responsible and where they are putting his things.”

There was a pause before Artemis smiled slyly and met her mother’s eyes. “Do you know where they will be put Flora?”

“No, not yet. It’s still an idea he’s got, but I’ll tell you all once I learn. Now that I think about it, it does seem a bit like paranoia.” Flora brought a finger up to tap at her chin in thought, her brows furrowing slightly. “What would he even need camera’s in his office for? The safe isn't there and his computer is password and fingerprint locked… Hmm.”

That piqued his curiosity again and he made a noise in his throat before he went and shut the door, not wanting to listen to anyone out in the hallway going past anymore. He made his way back to the couch he and Legend had claimed for themselves, flopping onto his face to let out a very canine like noise of frustration into the cushion before he turned his head to look at Flora and Artemis. “What could he even be hiding in the first place? He’s the principal for a school full of kids.”

Silence was in the room at that and it remained while everyone fell into their thoughts, trying to figure out what he could be hiding, if anything at all. Twilight was just dozing off, finally having gotten comfortable when Legend returned to the room. The soft pop announcing his presence had the taller boy pushing himself up, suddenly alert, wanting to  _ know _ what was going on. “Well?”

A bitter laugh was the start of Legends answer before he shook his head. “It’s a colossal mess. They had to sedate him from the looks of things. His right ear is bandaged, he’s got  _ bags _ under his eyes like he hasn’t slept in days, he…  _ he’s thin as a rail _ . Fuck.”

Flora had inhaled sharply and covered her mouth with a hand again. “Oh no,  _ Wild _ ...” 

“Dad is sorry we had to hear it, but I told him it’s not his fault. Majora,  _ the bitch _ , is the one who did this to our brother.” was hissed out. “I told dad that Wild has us as support, but also that we can’t always be there with him, so he needs another anchor that can be with him at all times.”

“You suggested a service dog. That’s a very good idea, his doctor and the nurse  _ did _ mention that it would benefit him..” Sheik murmured. “You and your father will have to get along with the dog too Twilight. None of that alpha male bullshit the two of you get into with the other dogs either. We’ve seen how you get with the dogs at the park some days.”

A small flush of embarrassment was on Twilight’s face but he didn’t deny that he sometimes got into arguments with other canines at the parks they went to. Instead he pointedly avoided looking at Artemis and Flora, both quietly giggling, keeping his eyes on Legend who was smirking at learning that little tidbit.. “A-Anyway, did dad say anything else?”

“Well, in the morning we need to go home and get a few sets of clothing. I offered breakfast too, from that little cafe down the street. The one with the really good breakfast sandwiches.” Deciding he was done standing, Legend flopped down on the sofa next to Twilight and reached up with both hands to scrub at his face. “Dad told me to tell everyone here good night before I left, mom was out cold already, so…”

Silence rang through the room again as everyone got lost in their thoughts. Twilight knew he’d be calling Midna in the morning, not wanting to have to walk all the way across town first thing, and she’d probably appreciate a reason to skip school for a day. Plus he doubted Sheik would want to stay at the hospital in the wheelchair for too long. Sleeping in that wouldn’t be comfortable.

“I’ll call Midna in the morning, she wants to know what’s going on with Wild anyway. I’m pretty sure she wouldn’t mind giving us quick lifts to a few places.” 

“Dad suggested calling her when I was in there actually. Probably worried that Majora might try something.”

“That would be something she would do normally, but I  _ doubt _ she would move this soon, not after what we did to her earlier. She’s going to be hurting for a while yet. If I  _ did _ rupture her eardrum, she’s going to be out of commission for a few weeks until her equilibrium rebalances.”

“How  _ did _ you even manage that mum? I remember you saying it’s hard to catch her off guard for an attack from the front a while back.” Artemis settled herself in the corner of the sofa she and Flora was on, the younger girl laying against her side, wrapped up in the blanket now, fingers curled into the fabric.

“Well, after I sent Twilight ahead with Wild, I returned to Time’s side. Majora didn’t expect  _ me _ and it resulted in me breaking my hand. Her face is like a rock. But anyway, she didn’t get a chance to really react by the time I got her again with my shin, was aiming with my foot, but she moved forward just enough the flat of it hit the side of her face.” 

“Holy shit really?”

“Yes, catching her off guard can sometimes be the only thing to stop her. It  _ doesn’t _ always work, but we manage as well as we can, Time’s Reset isn’t always foolproof, and he’s hardly ever able to tell me what to do unless there is a lull, so most times I just wing-it.” She shrugged at the end. 

“Wait, so all of yours and dad’s fights against her are  _ flukes _ ?” 

Sheik’s voice was sharp as she looked at Legend, a small frown on her face. “I did  _ not _ say that Legend. Time’s  _ Reset _ isn’t foolproof. I can’t tell you how many times he’s had to Reset during a fight with Majora before and after you were born. I wasn’t partnered with him the first time he encountered her. He was still a student in Sky High and his assigned Super got it in his head that he could take down Majora single-handed and without any support. The idiot ended up unconscious before she turned her attention to Time and when she took him down, well. Thats how your father learned about his Reset and was transferred to Heroics Academy and assigned to me.

“He told me when we were going through his tutoring and catch up that he had Reset over sixty times during his first encounter with her. He didn’t understand what was happening at first, thought it was a trick done by Majora, but he said around the fifteenth or so he picked up that it was  _ him _ going back. She wasn’t as crazed back then either, she was more level headed and harder to take down because she could make cohesive plans.”

That had all four teens quiet for a few moments. Time hardly ever talked about his encounters with Majora beyond skimming of the basic rundown. So hearing that this man had to deal with a saner version of a madwoman was chilling. It made a twisted amount of sense why Time  _ never _ talked about it. Also why the older man was  _ still _ seeing a therapist after all this time.

“Before Wild came into our lives and Majora was locked up, Time had gone through so many Resets that he  _ doesn’t _ know how many times anymore. He stopped keeping track unless it  _ mattered _ to him.” What Sheik refused to tell the kids, was that Time had only kept track of how many times his, at that point in their lives, very young family was Majora’s target to get to the man and break him down so she could triumph over him.

Wild being pulled into their lives gave Time and her a much needed  _ break _ from fighting constantly. It was partly why both of them decided to Retire so young compared to most other Heroes and Sidekick pairs, and why most of the other active pairs looked down their noses at them for choosing to go civilian. Their age group had been easy to ignore thankfully, the older veteran Supers understanding and recognizing the need for them to back away from the news coverage and limelight. 

Twilights voice broke her thoughts and she looked back to him. “I sort of remember him locking himself in him and mom’s bedroom when I was a kid after really bad days. Mom was always worried about him getting hurt really badly one of those times. I also remember when he first lost his eye, Wild finally came home with him after that. He was gone for almost two weeks and he came home with his right eye covered by bandages.”

“Thats  _ one _ of the reasons why we retired after she was put away, he needed to adjust to being half blind. We’re still on call for  _ really _ big things, but we don’t participate in a lot of the fighting that happens otherwise. We’re the only ones currently equipped to fight Majora, so she’s the only one we are really needed to fight anymore. Every second with her counts because of what she can do. One moment she’s across a room, and the next she’s got a knife to or in your throat. I can  _ sometimes _ out speed her, but it’s not an absolute guarantee, sadly.” Sheik wasn’t going to let the kids get it in their heads to overwhelm Majora, because it was a toss up if it worked or not. Time nor Malon would ever forgive her if one of the kids were hurt because of what she told them.

“It’s why teamwork is so important right?” Sheik fixed her eyes on her daughter and raised a brow who returned the gesture. “Working in tandem with our sidekicks or heroes is the best way to take down the villains if we can work together seamlessly. Mom, you and Time are an excellent example of it.”

“That may be true, but right now, none of you have that ingrained instinct of knowing where your partner is on the battlefield like Time and I. Twilight and Midna are far closer to that level of awareness due to what happened at the end of his last school year, but Dot and you still have a ways to go. You’re off to a great start though, better than many.” Her words were firm, not wanting to let then even try something stupid.

“I want all four of you to listen to me right now.” When they were watching her she looked at each one of them in the eyes. “Under  _ no _ circumstances are you to engage Majora in any way. Get out of the area as fast and safely as you can, you call Time and I.  ** _Do you understand me_ ** ?” 

A flicker of defiance lit up in both of the boys eyes before it turned into a grudging acceptance and they nodded. She looked to the two girls and waited until they both nodded as well before she settled back down in her seat. “Good. I don’t like telling any of you to stay out of her way, but until we get her back in her cell, it’s best for you to exercise caution and avoid her.”

Legend snorted, crossing his arms behind his head and shifted across his corner of the sofa, stretching his legs out towards Twilight. “We  _ aren’t _ stupid. None of us will actively seek her out. I can’t speak for  _ every one _ of our friends, but I don’t think any of us have a death wish.”

“I won’t seek her out either mum.” Artemis said firmly from her own seat. Flora nodded quietly in agreement, her own mind racing with thoughts and ideas for escapes and places to find shelter.

Twilight remained quiet, his own arms crossed over his chest, but he was doing much the same as Flora. A few ideas were being made to run by Warriors who would be the better one to figure things out for everyone of their friends safety. He was better at thinking of viable plans of escape or engagement if it happened while keeping them as safe as they could. All of them were involved, indirectly or not in this because of their association with Wild.

Everyone was winding down now, Flora dozing against Artemis’ shoulder and the headrest herself was slowly drooping, her head resting on top of the others, blinking slowly. Legend rolled onto his side, wedging his legs behind Twilight after kicking his shoes off, wrapped up in his blanket, face pressed into the fabric, eyes barely peeking over the top of it. Twilight was still wide awake, eyes watching out the window as the last signs of the sun faded out, the blanket he was using was draped across his legs fingers twisted within the material.

Sheik was slouched in her chair, knowing that she would be hurting later, but caring very little for that potential pain at the moment. She was exhausted, only imagining how her partner felt with every Reset he'd had to do. The haunted look in his eyes when he'd had time to settle and relax was something she wasn't looking forward to seeing in the morning. But it had to come at some point. She lifted her head to look around and sighed seeing Twilight the only one still conscious.

She sighed softly, her voice lowered to not disturb the three sleeping. "Go to bed Twilight.”

“Can’t sleep yet. Got too much on my mind right now.” Twilight looked over to her as he murmured, his brows drawn together, upset clearly visible in the lines of his face.

“Twi, your brothers are safe, one is here in the room with you, and the other has your parents with him.”

“It’s… It’s not that.” He looked away from her back to the window and it took a few moments for him to form what he wanted to say without it sounding whiny or petty. “I feel like I’m not able to do enough for my family. Ever since Wild was kidnapped, everything has just been spiralling downhill and I haven’t been able to do  _ anything _ . Legend getting put in that coma, all the shit happening at the school with your boss, the detentions, and rise in bullying, the  _ stupid fucking gifts _ that Majora left for us to find every few days… I just feel like  _ none _ of this is going to end for us until someone I love dies.”

“Twi, I want you to listen to me again, alright?” 

He glanced over to her, watching her out of the corner of his eye and he nodded shortly.

“You  _ have _ done enough for your family. More than you realize you have, being there for your mother, for Legend when he woke up, for your father when another ‘gift’ was found and he nearly broke. You sell yourself short on what you do for your family. As for the stuff at school, none of that is in your control. Rhoam, sadly is more concerned about the appearance of the school than the student population so…”

“I…”

“Don’t worry about the rest of the school Twi, just focus your attention on your family. Let your father and I focus on that place. I think when your brother is cleared to go back, he’ll definitely need you for support.” Sheik had rolled herself over to him, stopping in front of Twilight and she reached out to tug his chin around to look at her. “When that comes around, just be yourself, be there for him, and don’t forget that  _ Midna _ is there for you too.”

Twilight pulled his face out of Sheiks grip, but didn’t look away from her. He bit lightly at his bottom lip, and nodded as he murmured. “Thanks auntie…”

“You’re welcome. Now I mean it, get some sleep. You’ll be able to go in and see Wild for yourself in the morning faster if you sleep through the night.” She pat at his cheek and carefully rolled herself backwards to where she had been before discomfort masked when she jostled her hand harder than she intended.

“I’ll try.”

“You better.”

  
With that, Twilight turned on the sofa, pulling his knees up and resting against the side and back of the couch over Legends’ legs after he moved them and pinned them down  he kicked in his sleep otherwise . Eventually the quiet breathing of everyone in the room, and the distant and muffled sounds of people moving along the halls lulled him to sleep. 


	9. Haunt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wild wakes once again, but not for long. Time has a few issues he needs to work through.

When Malon woke up, she was draped across her husbands’ chest, his arms holding her loosely in place. Her face felt tight, itchy from the tears she shed the day before and she turned her face to rest her ear against the steadily beating heart under her. She was reluctant to open her eyes, but she forced them to blink, wanting to at least  _ attempt _ to be coherent shortly.

Nothing in the room looked different from the night before as she lay there in the quiet. A few things had been added or changed on the whiteboard on the wall where she could see it. Just a note or two regarding what had changed over night. The blinds on the window had been turned to prevent the sun from shining into any of the room occupants eyes.  She was thankful for that generosity of the staff. Weak sunlight was barely filtering in along the far wall, showing it was just before dawn.

A shuddering breath was pulled in to her lungs and she carefully sat up, sliding down just enough to sit on the leg rest. She took the chance to look around the room, watching Time’s sleeping face for a moment then over to the bed where Wild was still sleeping. As quietly she could, she stood up, stretching over head and moved to stand next to Wild’s bed, a small frown on her face as she watched his.

There were small twitches behind his eyes, showing he was dreaming and the corners of them compressed every now and then. She  _ was _ relieved to see that the bags under them had faded out somewhat, but he was still far too pale for her liking. Her little boy probably hadn’t seen the sun at all since  _ She _ had taken him. 

Moving to the far side of the bed where the two smaller chairs had been dragged to the night before, she settled back down into the one closest to the bed again. Time would be left alone until he woke normally, she’d scold whoever woke him up otherwise. Laying her head back against the chair she returned to watching her son sleep. 

Malon felt the burn at her eyes again, the formation of tears being stalled from how heavily she cried the day before waiting for news, and from hearing what was the result. A bubble of anger and frustration was in her stomach, making her insides feel like they were twisting around as she thought of how  _ much _ Wild had likely suffered. The burns on his hands were very telling, she had seen the shape of them, recognizing them too. His panic from the night before made her stomach curl even further, his  _ begging _ for there to be no needles so very telling to what they had seen done to him in the video recordings left for them. 

Incoherent sobs, eyes being unable to focus, staggering around trying to gain his bearings,  _ hurting himself trying to escape _ Malon squeezed her eyes shut and took a few slow breaths, trying to calm herself down and push those horrible memories out of her mind. He was home after all, within arms reach, and finally given the chance to recover. 

When she opened her eyes again, she almost jumped out of her skin seeing Wild’s eyes opened again. They were unfocused and staring at the far wall and tear tracks were slipping down from his eyes. His chest was rising slowly with each breath he was taking and there was a  _ very _ faint and low whine she could barely hear that came from him.

His head tilted to the side slightly, as if shying away from something-, no  _ someones _ touch and she wanted to reach out and tug on the blanket to draw his attention away from the waking dream he was trapped in. Carefully she did, tugging very gently on the fabric, just enough to hopefully draw his attention.

The whine cut off and Wild’s head jerked faintly to look in her direction, his eyes not focused entirely on her. His breathing stuttered in his throat and Malon feared for a brief moment that he was going to fall into another panic. 

Softly she murmured, hoping to not disturb Time from his sleep. “Wild, sweetheart?”

There was a long stretch of silence before anything was said, his voice barely little more than a whisper. “I’m dreaming… I  _ have _ to be dreaming.”

For a single heartbeat Malon’s voice caught in her throat and before she could even say anything, Wild sluggishly turned his head to the other side. Dazed blue eyes were watching Time’s sleeping face for a moment. “I  _ like _ this dream… Where..? Where is Twi? I could have sworn he was here…”

“Wild? Twi is in another room sleeping.” Her voice was just as soft as his and it was a moment before his head turned back to blink at her. His eyes scrunched up slightly as if he was trying to focus on her like he always did when he wasn’t wearing his glasses. She scooted closer to the bed, hoping that seeing it was  _ her _ and not Majora would help him stay calm.

A small hitch was in his breathing again and a matching stutter appeared on the heart monitor, but he didn’t react as frantically as the previous time he woke. His words wavered, even in the soft whisper he spoke with. “Mum..? How..? Did Mamajora catch you too?”

Malon wanted to gather Wild up into her arms with what he had just said and  _ never _ let him go. She steeled herself and reached up to very lightly touch his uncovered arm. When he flinched back, she pulled her hand back and swallowed, giving him a weak smile. “No baby boy, she didn’t. You aren’t in there anymore with her. You’re safe.”

That didn’t have the desired reaction and he tensed slightly, the whine returning and a tremble slowly building up. His voice was scared now. “She’ll find me if I’m not with her… Mamajora always does.”

“ _ Sweetie she won’t find you anymore _ . You  _ are _ safe from her and not ever going to be stuck with her ever again if I have anything to say about it.” Her own voice was soft and firm, shocking herself with how level she kept it with the  _ rage _ bubbling under her skin as a little more was revealed about Wilds time with that woman.

Wild didn’t say anything for a few long moments and he just let his head move back so that he was staring at the far wall. His fingers twitched against the fabric beneath his hands and his brow scrunched up slightly in thought. “But… I couldn’t be free, she wouldn’t just let me run away… Always found me at the start. I stopped trying after the sixth or seventh month.”

The words coming from her youngest son’s mouth made her feel ill and twisted in her chest. He was only gone for  _ three months _ , how long had it been for  _ him _ then?. A sour taste was building up in her mouth and she swallowed it down, refusing to leave Wild’s side. Both of her hands were twisted in the fabric of the blanket on the bed, knuckles turned white as  _ more _ spilled from her son’s mouth, in that soft,  _ meek _ voice.

“I’m sleeping, thats why you’re here mum… in my Room. ‘s why it’s quiet too. Mamajora leaves me alone in there. Don’t like it in there all the time though mum. Lights off is bad, worse with the quiet… This is nice, it’s warm, you’re here, I feel light, and I can see…” His eyes fluttered slightly and he yawned, letting his eyes slide shut again for a few moments before he opened his eyes and turned his head back to Malons’ side of the bed. 

A sleepy smile on his face as he murmured softly. “I’m gonna sleep now though mum. I hope I have a good dream like this again…”

Before she even had a chance to say anything, Wild  _ truly _ fell into his dreams. It was a few more moments before she moved, gently reaching out to pick up Wild’s left hand. Turning his hand up she placed the warm and slightly scarred palm against her cheek and felt the burn of tears forming in her eyes when she clenched them tightly.

She wanted to scream. To yell, to rage, to do anything she possibly could to  _ rip Majora apart _ for hurting her little boy. The precious little boy who was brought into her life after such horrible circumstances gave him so few choices about his fate. The little boy who worked so hard to be wanted, loved, and accepted by people.

_ The little boy that Majora likely broke down to the belief of everything in reality being a lie. _

Malon knew on an intuitive level that Wild would struggle to return to his previous self. It was wedged in a place deep in her chest as she silently cried against the palm she held to her face. The tears sliding down her cheeks burned and it wasn’t long before they stopped falling, it left her  _ exhausted _ feeling this time. 

A sharp gasp from the other side of the bed drew her attention and she opened her eyes once more to see Time clutching tightly at the armrest of the chair with one hand while the other was pressed against his heart, his own knuckles white as he grabbed at himself. He was breathing sharply and quickly, as if gasping, his good eye wide open. It was a long moment before Time’s eye was clenched shut and a slow breath was taken in and held.

“Honey?” Malon called out softly, lowering her hands from her face, gently placing Wild’s back down over his lap.

Time’s eye snapped over to her and he relaxed slightly, letting his hand drop back to his lap and his head back down to the headrest to look up at the ceiling. “It was just a nightmare Mal…”

“Link, that  _ wasn’t _ just a nightmare. You wake up from those stiff and make no sound. I only wake up when you have them because of how tense you are. What happened?” Malon’s voice was still soft, but firm as she spoke. She stood up and moved around the end of Wild’s bed to sit down on the footrest of the chair once again.

His blue eye fixed on her face and he made a soft noise in the back of his throat before he swallowed and sat up. “Love… I, it’s not something I  _ want _ to think about. I’ll… I’ll tell my therapist when I see him next, but  _ this _ ? This isn’t something I can tell you. Not with what happened.”

What went unsaid was more than the heavy weight she previously felt when he spoke last night about his Resets.  _ Something _ bad happened in one or more of them, and it  _ had _ to be what his nightmare was about. A soft sigh left her as she leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. “Link, what ever happened no longer matters alright? You stopped what could have happened and brought all of our boys home. You brought Sheik back to her daughter, and you brought  _ yourself _ home to me.”

“Malon, I-”

“Link.  _ You _ made sure to get everyone out, yes it may have taken thirty-four tries to manage it finally, but you still  _ did _ . Yes, you worked with Sheik to make it happen, but you’re still the only one to be able to hold her back as long as you have. You know what could happen, yet you  _ still _ stand between her and whatever her target is.” It hurt, seeing her husband this upset, there was an emotion she couldn’t quite grasp in his eyes, but she wasn’t going to let this dominate his thoughts until he saw his therapist. 

There was a long silence and a muscle was twitching in Time’s jaw before he released a shaky breath and slumped. He knew this wasn’t a conversation that was over, but he  _ really _ didn’t want to think about what he had dreamed of. He turned his attention to Wild for a moment then turned his gaze back to his wife, who like himself, was watching their son once again. “Have you been awake long?”

“Maybe an hour, if that. Wild was awake for a little bit.” she murmured softly, looking down to the floor before looking back up to Time. Unshed tears in her eyes again. “He doesn’t think any of this is real. He mentioned a  _ room _ again and I-”

She clenched her eyes shut and grasped for one of TImes hands, squeezing it. “I’ll say it again Link,  _ Majora had better hope that it’s not me that gets to her first for this. _ ”

Time squeezed her hand in return, a weak smile on his face. He said nothing, just pulled her over to him and held her against himself. Both of his arms were wrapped firmly around her waist and he just settled in to watch the sun beams slowly track across the wall and floor, making glances over to Wild every so often. 

Outside the room the rest of the hospital started to move around; patients waking up, nurses doing their rounds, and a few carts rolling along the floors. There was a soft knock at the door and Malon stood up, pulling free from Times hold to open the door. 

On the other side of the doorway, Twilight and Legend stood, each with a few bags in hand, freshly changed and showered. The smell of food wafted into the room and Malon smiled faintly, stepping back to let them both enter the room, hugging both of them as they passed. “Morning boys…”

Time had sat up and turned to look at the two. “Good morning you two. Did you sleep alright?”

“I did, until I tried to roll over and  _ someone _ was hugging my legs in his sleep.” Legend threw a smirk at Twilight who just rolled his eyes.

“You kicked me in the back.  _ Twice _ . I had to stop you from doing it a third.” Twilight moved over to the table with his bags and set them down to start pulling food out of them. “I have the food, Legend has clothes for both of you, and a few extra spares. Aunt Sheik was called by the school secretary and was told that Midna, Flora, and Artemis had to go.”

The flat tone with the last part had a story behind it and Legend snorted as he handed his mom the bag labeled as hers. “They were told they risk suspension if they didn’t show up because they ‘aren’t family to the student in the hospital.’ They tried to argue about me but Sheik put her foot down and told them to fu-”

“ _ Legend. _ ”

“ _ Fine _ … She told them that I’m still Wild’s brother even if it’s not by blood and that it was my choice to go or stay here.” he rolled his eyes and held out the other bag for his dad to take from his grip and then crossed his arms with a huff. “I don’t know why I can’t  _ curse _ . They’re just words.”

Malon had already started towards the bathroom door when she scolded him lightly and she just huffed at him in return. “Because cursing at your age is rude. Once you’re 17 it won’t matter as much to me. There had better be a breakfast wrap in there for me Twilight.”

“Oi!” Legend just snapped his mouth shut and grumbled in annoyance before he went to grab his part of breakfast a small plate of pancakes with a container of fruit syrup and an iced coffee.

“There is mom, made how you like it too with jalapenos, ham, and mushrooms and a hot coffee with triple sugar and double cream.”

“Good, I’ll be out in a few moments.” The door shut behind their mother and both boys glanced back over to Time who was still sitting down before they grabbed for their own breakfasts. 

Twilight started to bite into his bacon, sausage, and egg sandwich while his free hand picked up the bottle of water he’d bought for himself. He moved over to sit on the chair right next to Wild’s bed and sat down, his eyes flicking up to watch his brothers sleeping face as he munched away. Legend draped himself over the other chair sideways, legs hanging over the armrest, foot bouncing as he started his own food.

The sound of the sink in the bathroom started and it was heard faintly over the steady sound of the heart monitor and quiet chewing of the rooms occupants. Time still hadn’t gotten up to get his breakfast and Twilight tilted his head with a frown seeing that. 

“Dad?”

Time blinked and looked up to Twilight. “Hm?”

“Are you going to eat your food?”

“Not yet. My… My appetite is nonexistent right now son.” 

That sent alarm bells going through Twilight’s head, judging by the reaction from Legend, his fork halfway to his mouth, he noticed the same thing. “You should eat it while it’s still hot dad. We got you biscuits and gravy.”

The taller man shook his head and stood up as the sink shut off. “Not right now Twi.”

Malon opened the door a moment later, her face freshly washed and hair pulled back out of her face. She looked like she felt better before the smile slipped seeing the look in Times eyes. “Link?”

“It’s nothing. I’m just going to change and then go for a walk. I’ll eat when I get back.”

“Honey…”

There was a pained look in Times’ eye as he met Malon’s and she sighed softly before stepping aside and nodding. “Alright, just promise me that you’ll be back soon?”

“I will be. I just  _ need _ to take a walk. I’m not going to leave without you and all of our boys.” With that Time shut himself into the bathroom long enough to wash up and change. He was out of the hospital room itself shortly, a quick kiss pressed to Malon’s cheek and he squeezed both conscious boys shoulders before he left it. 

Time made his way down the hall towards the stairs, the opposite direction of the waiting room and he let his thoughts swallow him up. Each step he took was automatic, done without an actual purpose, just the intent to  _ walk _ . He passed several people by as he moved, shifting just enough to not hit or run into them.

What brought him back into reality was a muffled thump against a wall to his right. He blinked and turned his attention to it.


	10. Who will save you now?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> EhehehehEHEHEHEHEEHEHEHEH
> 
> This is my favorite chapter because I get to _properly_ introduce one of my favorite villains to the series. A little family history is brought up regarding Wild's birth family, blood is shed, someone is about to get wrekt

Thomas had his arms pillowed on his desk, his head resting in the hollow of them as he felt his mind racing. Too much had happened over the past day, all he wanted to do was go home to his wife and daughters. Seeing his own child, the son he- as Mrs. Forrester had put- abandoned to the wolves, in the flesh was harder than he had thought it would be. 

Link looked so much like his mother that it was hard to think of them as different people. The main thing that sets them both apart in his memories was the extensive set of scars that decorated the left side of the teenagers body. The last time he had seen Link was when the now young man was just out of toddlerhood, terrified, crying, and wanting nothing more than to be held. He turned his back on that little boy though. 

At the time he didn’t regret it. He was protecting  _ his family _ , small though it was, it was  _ his _ and he wasn’t going to run the chance of that little boy turning out like his mother did. Yet, seeing him in that hospital bed with Link Forrester Sr. standing next to it with his wife made him feel a bubble of regret swell in his chest and throat. 

He remembered back to the day that he signed over everything and anything to do with Link to the government branch and the furious rage that rolled off of Forrester. He didn’t  _ care _ to even try and fight for him, he didn’t  _ want _ to fight for the child of a madwoman even if they shared blood. Thomas walked out of that building, the contract weighing heavily in his mind.

No contact with him unless in dire life or death circumstances. No questions pertaining to his health. No inquiries to his state of mind, his living situation, or his family. If he were to come into contact with him or his caretakers he was to leave immediately. Breaching the contracts stipulations ran the risk of him being dragged to prison and his wife losing custody of all their children, current and future, to the foster system.

It came as a shock to the whole community when word reached him that the Hero who defeated Majora retired and took in the little boy. His wife, Eleana, having been informed from the beginning about who that little boy was, adamantly and furiously put her foot down to refuse any contact with him. 

_ “He’ll turn out just like that monster mother of his, you mark my words Thomas. He will not come near my children and poison them.” _

She had also been angry to learn he was a Super in his own right, Healing was useful after all. But she didn’t leave him, just curled her lips and told him he best hope neither of their two beautiful little girls ever presented their own powers. Their marriage had chilled some since then, but he didn’t love her any less, she still cared for him and obviously loved their daughters. 

Fear however had licked up his spine the day his eldest, Myra, had cut herself horribly with one of the kitchen knives while she was cooking with him. He had been ready to call upon his own power when the wound had sizzled and closed over on its own. Not even a scar had been left behind, but he still had her wash her hand and arm off so he could look it over again.

None of it had been done by his own hand, all of that had been done by his beautiful daughters’ own power coming into being. He made her swear to keep it a secret from her mother and so far she had. Ten years old and already being forced to keep what she could do a secret, but she had seen how her mother reacted when the news came on a few nights after Halloween and it made them all leery.

Links’ smiling face had been on the news obviously from a family photo,  _ Goddesses he looked so much like Majora did _ and his wife screamed at the TV and then at him.  _ “I told you Thomas! That little beast went back to his mother as soon as he could! He should have been left to rot in a prison cell!” _

Myra had dragged her little sister, Dana, out of the room at a run and he had struggled to calm his wife down so they could listen to the full report. Eleana was fuming during the entire broadcast, scoffing whenever the news anchor mentioned that the search was ongoing for the young man, his family was hoping to find him quickly. It was three months worth of weekly updates for the ongoing search as well as news from the family itself stating they had been receiving things from the madwoman to do with their son. Dozens of people threw themselves into searching for this boy and Thomas was,  _ numb _ to it all.

Eleana had offhandedly snapped at him one night while Myra was nearby with Dana.  _ “I hope that little bastard of yours rots with his mother when they find them Thomas.” _

Myra had long since learned the meaning behind the word “bastard”, but that didn’t stop her curiosity from rearing its head. She had piped up from the doorway and simply asked if they had another sibling, Dana peeking out from behind her. His wife had  _ not _ reacted well at all. She had screamed and raged about Link _ not _ being their brother at all for nearly twenty minutes, sending both girls into tears and rushing to hide behind their father from her anger.

When Eleana had stormed out, the door slammed behind her and they remained rooted to the spot until her car started and fell silent in the house. Myra had tugged on his shirt and he met both of his daughters tear soaked faces with a worried frown of his own. The words out of Dana’s mouth hurt more than it should have, but he could do nothing to turn back time.

_ “Papa? Can we meet him? He can’t be a bad person, you’re not a bad person so why would he be one?” _

Those words were echoing in his mind as he remained in the quiet of his office, forehead pressed to the desk beneath him. His eyes were closed, glasses folded on the desk by his elbow, as he let his mind try and settle. It was only the sound of the door to his office opening that drew his attention and we he sat up he felt a  _ chill _ roll down his spine when he saw who was standing in the doorway.

A pristine white suit was on the eerily tall man standing in the doorway. White hair parted so that his bangs covered the left side of his face, exposing his right eye and ear, a smirk on the man’s lips. His shoes clicked on the tile with each step he took into the room. The door shut behind him with what seemed to be a damning sound and he stopped next to the chair on the other side of the desk Thomas was seated behind.

“Good morning Doctor Devland.” His voice was smooth, like silk over steel, and so  _ cold _ the chill that ran down Thomas’ spine flooded his into the rest of his bones.

It took a moment for him to find his voice and he swallowed as he reached for his glasses to put them on before he spoke. “Mr. Ghirahim, have a seat… What brings you here?”

The smirk on Ghirahim’s face grew and he tilted his head slightly before he took the offered seat, lifting one leg up to rest the ankle across the other knee. He settled comfortably against the chair and rested his left elbow on the armrest, leaning toward it to prop his cheek against his raised hand. Amusement was rolling off the man, dark and cloying in a way, Thomas was leery of what the answer would be.

“Imagine my  _ surprise _ to find out from my informants that  _ you _ were slated to be put in charge of your disowned son’s health.”

“Sir it wasn’t my cho-”

“I don’t need your excuses. You were put in charge for a reason after all, you’re the only one qualified to tend to him on staff.” Ghirahim cut him off with a wave of his hand. “You won’t be punished for this after all, I arranged it properly when word reached me there was going to be an attempt to take him back. I’m simply here to give you an  _ order _ from higher up.”

Thomas felt a bead of sweat slide down the side of his neck and into the collar of his scrubs and he swallowed thickly. He straightened up and mustered up what little courage he could still feel. “I won’t break my Hippocratic Oath for any one. Not eve-”

“Your daughter Myra seems to be developing quite nicely isn’t she? Healing wounds like you? Why, the other day she fell out of a tree and broke her arm you know. It would be a shame for her to go,  _ missing _ wouldn’t it? Little Dana seems to be taking after you too. In fact, yesterday she scraped herself on the playground when another child pushed her...”

Ice flooded in behind the chill and Thomas could feel his heartbeat in his skull at the threats. It was all said with a smile on the man’s face, his eyes telling a  _ deadly _ truth with the words. Ghirahim slowly stood up, stepping to the desk to lean forward over it, catching Thomas’ chin in one hand while the other pulled out a slim black knife from a pocket inside his suit jacket. That blade went down sharply and quickly into the back of Thomas’ left hand, where it had been still on the desk, and it took an enormous effort to not scream.

With his hand pinned to the surface, Thomas’ free hand moved to scramble for the hilt of the blade. His hand was batted away and pinned by the now unoccupied hand in a crushing grip. Through gritted teeth and a pain filled whine he forced out, “Wh-What do you want th-then?”

The dark chuckle that left Ghirahim reinforced the lead weight of ice forming in his stomach. “What I want is for you to forward  _ any _ and  _ all _ information you take down about Mr. Link “Wild” Forrester while he is in your care. I do mean everything Thomas, or your  _ lovely wife _ will learn what her daughters can do.”

Thomas could feel blood leaking from under his palm onto his desk and onto the floor where his blood sizzled before evaporating, showing no sign of having been there. His jaw and right hand ached duly from the steel-like hold on both, his left hand was practically screaming for someone to remove the blade.

“Do you understand me Dr. Devland?”

With great reluctance and the simmering knowledge that he would lose his right to practice medicine if he was ever caught doing this, as well as the very real threat hanging over his daughters heads, he nodded as much as he could. “Y-Yes  _ sir _ .”

In one swift movement the hand holding his chin was pulled back and the knife in his hand ripped free from skin and wood. Thomas recoiled back into his chair, hand pulled to his chest, as the other man inspected the blade between long fingers. The burning itch of his power sweeping across his hand was a welcome relief, but he shoved it down because of the price he knew in the future he would end up paying in some way. 

“That wasn’t so hard now was it?” Ghirahim’s tongue snaked out and slid across the edge of the blade where the lingering remainders of Thomas’ blood was steaming. “Your blood always has had an odd taste you know.”

He refused to answer either, instead swallowing thickly. “Where do I send what you ask for?”

“To this email. It will encrypt itself as it passes through the firewall of your computer. It won’t be traced back to you if that is what you fear, your  _ dirty little secret _ will be safe with me.” A card was dropped onto the desk and the doctor stared at the innocent and flimsy piece of paper like it was going to bite him.

It might if it came from the man in front of him. 

“Oh and Thomas?”

The man looked up and paled further when he saw where Ghirahim was looking. There was a photo of his family by his door, the four of them out at an amusement park, last year when they went to Disney if he remembered right, hanging there among other individual pictures of his kids and wife through the years. All four of them had smiles on their faces, Myra was caught midjump, Dana was clinging to his and Eleana’s hands excitedly.

“A reminder for you before I leave.” 

He didn’t see the motion, just the sound of glass cracking and a soft thump from the knife embedding itself into the wall behind the photo. It wasn’t a threat any longer. It was a  _ promise _ that the man leaving his office would follow through with if he refused to obey. “I expect to hear from you soon my  _ friend _ . Do not leave me waiting long.”

Thomas’ eyes were fixed on the picture that had been hit with the knife as Ghirahim left. It had slid straight through the glass and through his eldest daughters throat, her face a broad grin with her Minnie Mouse ear headband. The message was clear to him and he barely had time to react when a hand closed around his shirt collar and pulled him out of his chair, so fixated on the now ruined family photo he was.

Furious blue stared into his eyes.


	11. Monster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time loses his temper after encountering someone he had hopes of never seeing again.

Time felt his breath catch in his throat when a man he had only seen in passing a handful of times long ago stepped out of the room the thump happened in. Pristine white was the one thing about the man that passed him that has always stuck with him in his mind as well as the faint sound of metal brushing against metal whenever the man had walked. The man spared a glance at him and his visible eye widened even as a nearly feral grin split his lips. 

Nothing was said. 

_ Nothing needed to be said. _

Then he turned towards the elevator doors further down the hallway, one hand slipping into a pocket while the other reached up and flicked his hair lightly, as if taunting Time.  ** _He was, He was taunting him and he was near his boys. Near his wife._ **

Ghirahim stepped inside and turned to face Time as the door started to shut behind him. The feral grin on his face was marred only by the presence of black cracks from behind his bangs. A mocking bow was the last thing seen as the door shut with a laugh that echoed down the quiet hallway. He was frozen for a long moment, watching the numbers drop down before they settled on the ground floor. 

A surge of anger rolled through him like a tsunami and he turned around to look at the door that was left open. The name on the plaque by the entry had his lips pulling back over his teeth and he went in, shutting the door behind him so no one heard them and he rounded the desk, seeing that Thomas wasn’t paying attention to him, eyes fixed on the wall by the door.

His fingers twisted into the collar of Thomas’ shirt and he pulled the man up out of his chair. The lingering stench of iron reached his nose, but he didn’t care as he dragged the man up to his face.  _ ”Why the fuck was Ghirahim here in the hospital?” _

Thomas said nothing for a moment, shocked that Time was even in this area of the hospital. The taller man shook his collar roughly and brought up the other hand to grip the other side of his shirt and lifted him onto the tips of his toes. Both of Times wrists were grabbed to help stabilize himself as he finally registered what was asked and he grit his teeth.

“Why the hell should I answer you Forrester?”

Another rough shake was given to him as Time growled low and threatening.  _ ”Because that man is a threat to my family. I want to know why the  _ ** _fuck_ ** _ he was here in your office of all places.” _

The doctor’s face closed off and he scoffed softly, masking his own upset with the reaction. “I don’t answer to you,  _ Link _ . Get out of my office before I have you removed from the grounds.”

“Not until I know why the hell that monster was  _ in here with you _ .” Time’s own inner wolf was close to the surface, just begging to be freed so that he could lunge for the mans throat. Thomas would recover from it thanks to his power, but it would be satisfying to do it. For the moment at least. 

There was a defiant look in Thomas’ eyes and he shoved at Time’s chest, pulling both of his hands off the wrists holding him up. “I would tell you if I fucking  _ could _ but I  _ can’t _ . Get the hell out of my office  _ Mr. Forrester _ .”

A snarl left Time’s mouth and he pulled a hand back, balling it into a fist before he slammed it into Thomas’ face. Blood rushed out of the doctor's nose with the sickening crack as he also broke one of the lenses of the man's glasses, and Time shoved him back into his seat roughly.  _ ”I swear Thomas, _ if anything happens to my family, I will come after  _ you _ for this. They are my pack and I won’t take Ghirahim’s presence well if I see him anywhere near them again.”

Both hands came up to cradle his face, blood dripping and evaporating from between his fingers. His glasses were broken and digging into the bridge of his nose. He glared up at Time before he pulled one hand back to take them off and drop them to the desk. “Get  _ out _ Mr. Forrester.”

“Stay away from my pack unless it’s to check on  _ my son _ . If I see you near him outside of that…” 

“Don’t threaten me.”

“It’s not a threat when I will follow through with it.”

_ “Duly noted.” _

Time spun around and stalked out of the room, the door slamming into the wall behind him, bouncing off of it and slamming shut after he passed through it. Behind him, Thomas slumped back into his chair and let his other hand slide off of his face, feeling his nose reset itself as he closed his eyes. 

The man felt drained now, wrung out and more exhausted than he usually would ever be after a day at work. After a few minutes there was no evidence of his nose having been broken or blood coating his top and skin. Slowly he opened his eyes again and looked over to the picture on the wall. The knife hadn’t budged at all from the force of the door slamming behind Time and it was still embedded in the throat of his smiling daughter.

“I’m sorry… But I’m saving  _ my _ family over yours.” He barely whispered.

-

No one was approaching Time as he stalked his way down the hallway. He kept his rage as under his control as he could, avoiding the staff and visitors as  _ best _ he could before he made his way down the stairs a few floors. Unknown to him he did much the same that his oldest son had the day before and he leaned against the wall for a moment, his forehead pressed against the cool stone.

His frustration was rolling through him and he wanted nothing more than to shift and snarl and rage against anyone that came near his family,  _ his pack _ with any hint of a threat. He slid down to his knees, fingers digging against the stone as he struggled to control his breathing, to rein in his animal side.

They were  _ safe _ , none of them were hurt anymore.  _ Legend _ was awake.  _ Wild _ was beginning the road to recovery.  _ Malon _ was safe and sound.  _ Twilight _ was calm, his own inner wolf better controlled.  _ Sheik _ was alive. There wasn’t an  _ immediate _ danger any longer with Majora licking her wounds.

He didn’t know how long he was kneeling there. Forehead pressed against concrete and his breathing slowed down to a more even pace. It was only when a warm hand was settled onto his shoulder that he pulled back from the wall, startled. Malon’s face was watching him, concern and worry visible in her eyes and posture. “Mal…”

“Link, what happened? You’ve been gone a few hours now honey…” Malon moved down to her knees and leaned against the wall with him, pulling the other against her. She could tell  _ something _ had happened while he had gone out, but until he told her, she could do nothing for him.

Time lay against her, his head turned into her neck and he took a slow breath. He remembered telling her a  _ long _ time ago about Ghirahim, but he didn’t remember if she even remembered who he was. Time didn’t even want to remember who the man was himself.

“Just… Do you remember when I first brought Wild home? The people I spoke of when the boys were asleep?” Time’s words were soft, barely carrying up and down the stairwell.

“Vaguely. It’s been a while but I do remember you saying one of them had a high interest in him.” Malon’s own voice was as soft as his, her arm around his waist sliding up so she could card her fingers into his hair. “I think he had a name that started with a ‘G’?”

Time let his eye fall shut with the soothing motion. “His name is Ghirahim. I don’t know what sort of job he has in the government, but the way he watched Wild while they argued over his fate… I just knew something was and is still wrong with that man.”

“Is?”

“He was  _ here _ . A little bit ago at the start of my walk… I ran into him outside of an office.” He wasn’t going to say which one. Malon didn’t need to get herself in trouble like he probably would for what he did.

“Why would he be here?” There was a tone of worry in her voice and Time shrugged slightly. 

“Wild’s rescue would be plastered all over the news by now. I… I’ve no doubt he was sent to see what was happening. Part of the reason we could bring him home was the government has to stay abreast of what is going on with him...”

Malon was quiet for a few moments, thinking in the silence of the stairwell. “Well, no one had been in to check on Wild when I came searching for you. Twilight and Legend are still with him in the room. Neither of them were going to budge from their seats, I think Twilight was going to shift and climb into the bed with Wild.”

A snort escaped Time’s mouth and he just took a slow breath before blowing it out in one heavy action. He blinked both eyes open, one staring at the staircase in front of them, and the other sightless. “I still need to eat too. They better have left my food alone.”

“I threatened them if they tried to get into it they’d be doing laundry for a month. For the whole ranch.”

“Good. They  _ listen _ to you. Goddesses know why they don’t listen to me.”

“It’s a mother’s touch dear.”

“Yes well, the little shits like to ignore me when they need to listen.”

“It’s because they know you won’t punish them unless they’ve been  _ very _ stupid.”

A sigh left Time’s mouth again and he reluctantly pulled away to stand up. He let his bad eye close again and held a hand out for Malon to take and pulled her up to her feet. She pulled him into a firm embrace and he returned it. “Should head back before they  _ do _ eat it.”

“Come on then. You can nap again too.” Malon pulled back to twine her fingers with his and started to lead him back up the stairs to the floor they needed to be on.


	12. Nobody wants to be alone.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Forresters finally return home to the hospital.

The next two weeks were a rollercoaster for the Forresters. Twilight and Legend had been sent back to school after a few days, growling and cursing the whole time and they had been jumpy and agitated as hell with their classmates whenever someone questioned them about their brother that hadn’t been involved.

Their friends had  _ thankfully _ helped run interference on their behalf. Keeping other kids from getting nosy and scolding the more insistent ones when they pushed too far. Some of their friends made sure that they had their homework done, coming over to help them catch up in the waiting room as well as a few attempts to help Wild get used to other people again.

That.... Did not always end happily for all parties.

Wild had finally accepted that he was free from Major’s hold after a few times of waking up in the hospital room, but he was  _ not _ handling that newfound freedom well at all. None of the staff could be anywhere near him without one of his family being there with him. He closed in on himself when he was being spoken to, shrinking down in the bed and trembling like a leaf, flinching constantly at sudden movements.

His friends were hurt and aching for him to return to being the happy child he had been before, but they  _ also _ knew that it would be a long and difficult road to manage even a small piece of that. Whatever had happened to Wild during the time he’d been with Majora had completely changed the young man. 

Hyrules first visit had ended with everyone nearly in tears because when Hyrule had tried to brush some of Wild’s hair away from his face, Wild had lashed out. Wild had snagged his best friends wrist and pinned it to the railing on the bed, fingers white against warm tanned from how hard he was holding the others hand there. Wild’s eyes had been pinpricks, his breathing fast and terrified before he had peeled his hand away once realization set in. 

Wild had spent the better part of a half hour caught between sobbing and apologizing frantically to his friend who’s skin had bruised rapidly to a dark purplish red. Hyrule had been wary of touching Wild again at first, but his own upset at seeing the frantic fear the other had for hurting him just because he had touched his hair, was far greater. Ignoring the verbal urges from the others in the room he had pulled Wild into a hug, apologizing himself and promising not to touch his hair without permission.

There was a moment of realization for everyone with that apology as  _ several _ people had been touching his hair up to that point. Malon had fled the room, tears bursting free and flowing heavily and Legend followed after her quickly reassuring his dad that he had her. Twilight had promptly shifted once the door was shut and jumped onto the bed to drape himself across his brothers legs while Time had settled himself next to the door, letting the boys have a few moments as he watched over them all silently, his own upset visible on his face.

Wild had cried himself into an exhausted and restless sleep that time, clinging like a child to Hyrules shirt.

Flora’s third time seeing him in person was just as heartbreaking as Hyrule’s first was. She had been reading aloud,  one of the few fantasy novels that caught her interest as she preferred science fiction, while Time and Malon had left to run a few quick errands and Twilight was at practice,  _ barely _ trusting the staff to keep Wild safe. As it was, Legend was there working on his own homework, one earbud in as he went over his equations, half paying attention to what was going on around him.

There had been a hitch in Wild’s breathing at the start of one of the passages Flora was reading to him and Legend looked up, faintly alarmed. She was engrossed in the words she was reading and speaking aloud and his brother was on his side, the bed laying flat for once, curled under the blankets facing her. Legend recognized the cover where he could see it from his seat and his eyes locked onto Wild again.  _ ’His Dark Materials’ _ was in Flora’s hands, and she had reached the passage where Lyra and Pan were being manhandled into the lab to be Severed, which was similar to a description of sedation in a way that obviously hit  _ far _ too close to home.

“Flora, stop!”

The older girl froze midword and looked up to Legend at his interjection and then she looked over to Wild when her ears perked up at the sound of a muffled whimper. The book slid from her lap and hit the floor with a soft thump as she moved towards the edge of her chair. Everything was pieced together pretty quickly and she reached out to place her hand on the blanket, not touching him, but allowing him to grasp for her if he wanted to. 

Apologies were spilling from her lips as she shifted again, practically ready to climb onto the bed to curl up with him. Wild squeezed his eyes shut and with one hand he latched onto Flora’s wrist through the cover of the blanket, his face ducking down to bury itself in the fabric of the blanket while he tried to calm. Flora had tears of her own build in her eyes and falling down her cheeks.

Legend hadn’t said anything about what happened when Time and Malon returned with changes of clothes as well as food for all of them an hour or so later. A freshly showered Twilight was watching where Flora was quietly reading a different book, a more light hearted one he didn’t recognize. Flora had migrated up onto the bed, Wild’s arms around her middle and his face buried against her shoulder, his one visible eye blinking slowly. 

Both of the teens on the bed were puffy faced, the evidence of tears in their eyes. It was a bit of a surprise for Wild to have let her that close, but they figured it was because Flora had been the most insistent one out of the group to help Wild get used to positive touches again. All of which she  _ offered _ for him to take.

It was a breath of relief to see Wild more receptive towards touches that were offered rather than just sprung on him. They realized by the third day of his coherency that he would refuse to do something without getting permission at all. Whether it was touch, eating, or even getting out of bed to walk around the room or to the bathroom. He was also never by himself in the room after the first time he had a severe panic attack upon waking up that ended with him pressed in a corner with his arms wrapped around himself, all the monitors pulled off, left screeching and the one remaining IV pulled free from his hand leaving a mess of blood and fluid all over the floor and bedding.

Now though, all of Wild’s physical injuries were healed in full and Malon was in the process of signing the last of the paperwork for Wild’s release. Time had gone to get the car ready out front and Legend was carrying the bag that held all of Wild’s things they had brought in for him in an effort to help him open up a little, he was also behind his brother, ready to push him along. Wild was sitting in a wheelchair at that moment, his fingers buried into Twilights fur, the others head resting in the younger’s lap. 

His fingers were trembling and Twilight was doing his best to keep Wild as calm as possible with all of the people watching them, discreetly and not. Wild kept his gaze firmly on his brothers furry head, tracing the pattern on his forehead without looking anywhere else. He had felt the stare from someone watching him and he looked up finally, recognizing the man who had been in charge of his health, Dr. Devland.

The Dr. had been very standoffish, reluctant even to even want to tend to his injuries and it made Wild nervous around the man. He never fought back, or lashed out, but he was always stock still whenever something was going on. There was only one night he vaguely remembered waking up briefly with the man watching him with some sort of regretful look on his face, but he didn’t think anything of it and simply rolled over, trusting his father to keep him safe.

Now though, he swallowed audibly and jerked his gaze away from the mans back down to Twi who was watching him with a soft whine. Wild tried to pull up a shaky smile for his brother and he didn’t think he succeeded, his throat felt tight, breaths shorter than they should have been, but he pushed it aside,  _ trying _ to get his nerves under his control before they got to the elevator he could hear in the distance. 

Wild’s attempt to control his fear was interrupted by his mom approaching them, a sheaf of paper in hand as well as a small sad smile. “Alright boys. Time to go home, your fathers waiting with the car out front now.”

With a small jostle, Twilight pulled away to walk at the side of the chair, one of Wild’s hands still buried in the fur at the scruff of his neck. Wild kept his head ducked down, avoiding meeting anyones eyes as Legend pushed him along. They paused at the elevator doors long enough to wait for them to open and then they were on them, the door shutting behind them. 

A whine broke free from his mouth and he tightened his grip on Twilights fur which brought the wolf-boy closer, head nudging against his thigh. The uncomfortable motion of his stomach dropping then rising to his throat had him jerk slightly and clench his eyes shut with how similar it was to what  _ She _ would do with him when she was playing her games. His other hand was tight on the armrest, fingers going white from the pressure he was putting on the frame.

_ It’s too small. _

_ What if it breaks down? _

_ I don’t want to be trapped here! I hate elevators! _

** _Let me out!_ **

_ Please let me out! I’m not doing anything wrong! I haven’t and I  _ ** _won’t!_ **

Unbeknownst to him they had already left the elevator and had stopped a little ways from the door, Malon kneeling on the ground next to him trying to get his attention. She had a hand hovering over the back of his and she was wanting to find a way to draw him out of his fear without having to touch him. “Wild sweetie? We’re out of the elevator now. Come on, baby boy, come back to us.”

Another whimper escaped him before Twilight plopped his head down into the middle of his brothers lap and woofed softly against his stomach. That startled Wild slightly and his eyes snapped open, falling down to lock with the wolf. He felt his lungs expand in one quick motion and he choked on his breath for a moment. 

“Wild?” Legend’s voice spoke up from behind him and he turned his head to look up at him, seeing the room around them was now airy and open. “You’re not there anymore.”

“I’m sorry sweetie, I wish we were able to get out of here without the elevator, but it was the fastest and safest way to get you down here. We’re almost outside too, the door is just over there.” His eyes tracked back down to his mother’s face then down to her hand hovering over his which still had a white knuckled grip on the arm rest. 

Carefully he pried his fingers free from the hold and then reached up to snag Malon’s hand. She squeezed his hand gently in return and gave him a small smile which he tried to return. Twilight nudged at his stomach again and the hand that was in the wolfs fur flexed lightly before relaxing and starting to slide through warm fur.    
  


“I… Sorry.” He barely whispered. 

“Don’t be sorry, not your fault. We couldn’t ask Midna to help us home since she was fu-” Legend cut off and made an awkward cough when Malon stared at him. “was told she had to go to school. I  _ didn’t _ curse okay?” 

“You almost  _ did _ mister.” Malon retorted flatly, a faintly amused glint in her eyes.

Legend huffed and tapped one foot. “Dad  _ is _ waiting for us you know mom. I doubt Wild wants us to stay here any longer than we have to.”

“I know. Come on boys. Twilight you’ll have to be human when we get in the car. Don’t you give me that look young man.”

Twilight was looking up at their mom with his puppy eyes to which she rolled her eyes and stood up, keeping her fingers twined with Wild’s. “We all can’t fit in the vehicle if you’re that size and you know it. Come on.”

Time was visible from the front doors just ahead, arms loosely crossed in front of him posture relaxed and no one else was around the doors. There was a visible relaxation in the muscles of his shoulders when he spotted them coming towards him through the slightly tinted glass. The doors slid open ahead of them as Twilight took the lead, stepping easily through them.

They had learned the hard way that Wild  _ refused _ to go through a doorway first if someone else was with him. He had always waited until someone else had gone through the doorway first, even just into the bathroom. Even then the door stayed cracked open an inch or two when he was inside, regardless of who was in the main room.

Wild kept the hold he had on Malon’s hand the rest of the way outside, not letting go at all until he was helped into the passenger seat of the car. Malon got in behind him and Legend was between her and Twilight. Time wheeled the chair back in and returned to the car, intent on getting them home.

The drive home was blessedly peaceful, Twilight and Legend not daring to try anything with their mother in the backseat with them. Both boys kept their hands to themselves only sniping playfully at each other to try for a smile or two from their brother. Wild had however fallen asleep, head lolling to the side to rest against the seatbelt. 

When they arrived home, the boys and Malon got out first, Time carefully undoing the seatbelt so that Wild would be able to get out without being stopped. Reaching up, careful to not touch his son’s hair, he slid his fingers across the side of Wild’s face. “Wild? Wake up, we’re home now. You can sleep in your own bed again.”

Sleepy blue cracked open and he groggily met his fathers eyes, blinking a few times to clear his own eyes. “Nn… Dad?”

“Hey sleepy head. We’re home, do you want to sleep in your own bed instead of this seat?” Time pulled his hand back once Wild’s eyes cleared up and he undid his own seatbelt to allow himself to get out. 

“M’kay... “ Wild let out a yawn and turned his head to the otherside, looking out of the window at the house that he grew up in. Unchanged and nothing was out of place. Snow was coating the ground from a previous snowfall and there were tracks leading from the house to the barn. It looked normal and peaceful like he remembered.

The door was pulled open by Time when he got to that side of the car and Wild blinked in surprise, not having heard the other door open or close. He hesitated for a moment before he got out of the vehicle. Twilight and Legend already at the door with what was left from their time visiting him in their arms, Malon fumbling with the keys in one hand. 

Wild swallowed thickly and stepped towards the house, his father remained at his side, keeping pace with him. When they reached the now open front door, Wild hesitated again before stepping in, fighting the urge to bolt for safety, the tension melting from his shoulders as soon as the familiar scents of the home hit his nose. He felt tears start to burn at the corners of his eyes and he just looked up to Time’s face.

“It wasn’t a dream at all, was it?” The words were soft, barely heard over the other three members of the family moving around in the house.

Time’s face softened a little more, pain visible in his eye. He opened his arms in offer to Wild who immediately took it and he buried his face into the taller mans chest, trembling as he wrapped his arms around his fathers torso. “It was real, but this is too. You’re here Wild, safe and sound and no one is going to hurt you again like that.”

A heartbeat was all that there was before soft sobs reached Times ears, relief flooding through the teen in his arms. With a foot he reached behind him and kicked lightly at the front door, letting it shut to keep the warmth in and he remained there, keeping a firm hold on his child, comforting his youngest with all the strength he could without smothering him. 

_ “Welcome home Wild.” _


End file.
